Sadly I can relate to the whole "tired of being bullied or seen as a punchline" shyt that Ziggy went through as well as his character which is why ive always had a hard time watching season 2 as long as I've seen it. shyt actually scares me because I understand what made him snap.
However, you have a choice on how to deal with that. It's one thing if it's a kid. Its another if you're an adult. He went about it the wrong way. Controlling your emotions and thinking before you say or do something is extremely important even if someone is coming at you. This is completely different from self defense. You have to know the difference when a situation calls for actual self defense because that shyt is a slippery slope especially with the law, courts, police and etc.
And besides, he shouldnt have been doing that shyt anyway. Season 2 of the wire is extremely underrated. The wire is very underrated. Its still very relevant.