I'm no lawyer, but as someone who remembers the ludicrous, counterproductive ramifications of schoolyard "zero tolerance" policies against physical fighting (you might as well escalate any fight with a bully because you'll be punished no matter what), and as someone who's been let off the hook by cops a couple times in my life, I'm a firm believer in upholding the spirit of the law, not the letter. People aren't machines. The letter of the law exists merely for people to interpret and apply with good judgment and consideration of context, complexities of which are often offloaded into the phrase "a reasonable person".