As long as I can remember it is definitely a street thing. Here's another thought.

TM had a working cell phone in his hand and could have easily dialed the cops and said, "There is a suspicious cracka' following me - please come to such an such location NOW". But TM didn't do that did he? Why did he not dial the cops and ask for assistance? He could easily have kept running from Z and dialed the cops while in motion.......easy enough to do, right? He was a literal heart beat from his father's house so why didn't he yell out for help?