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First of all, just because you own a home in a HOA controlled subdivision doesn't give you a right to "stop and confront" folks that are on the "Common Ground" or "Public right of Way" areas...
And neighborhood watch is called that for a reason... It is not "Neighborhood Stop and Interrogate"...
In this case Zimmerman, fully an adult, planned to confront a minor child to ask what he was doing in a subdivision of many families, of which Zimmerman didn't likely know everyone and should have known there were black families who may have kids...
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If Zimmerman is telling the truth, he was not trying to stop or confront Martin. He followed him in the car for a while and when Martin ran off, he got out the car to try and determine the direction he went as the police requested. To nit pick it they did not tell him to get out of the car, but he thought that is what they wanted him to do. In order to do this and to tell the police where he was he walked up to the next street to try and get the address and was returning to his car when Martin confronted him and struck him. According to Martin's friend who was on the phone with him, he at some point had reached the back door of the place he was staying. The residence is a long way from where the final fight took place and there is no evidence that Zimmerman ever went down the path to the residence. So Martin after reaching safety, even if he thought Zimmerman was up to no good, he returned several hundred feet to confront him. My guess is that his friend on the phone suggested he go back and beat him up, no evidence of that presented of course but her later actions suggest to me she felt guilty of contributing to Martin's death.
If that is true, Martin started the fight and was at a minimum trying to beat Zimmerman severely. Even after Mr. Good yelled and them and told him he was calling the cops Martin continued to beat Zimmerman. By this time Zimmerman was very afraid he was going to be killed and was screaming for help. So even if he had started the fight at this point he was clearly suing for peace. After he thought Martin had spotted the pistol and was trying to take it he got control of hit and shot Martin.
His story has some minor variations through the various retellings, but it is consistent that he was not trying to confront Martin, he was not the aggressor and he was in fear of his life. The police and local prosecutors all agreed that there was no case for manslaughter let a lone 2nd degree murder.
Given the evidence I have seen, I have watched some of the proceedings but mostly summaries of the events and tweets, he certainly looks to have been justified in shooting Martin. Yes, he may have been able to other things to have not had to shoot Martin, but hindsight is 20-20.