Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon: Cops tried to 'disparage the character' of Michael Brown

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) on Sunday said he "deeply" disagreed with the decision by local police to release a video that allegedly shows Michael Brown shoplifting from a convenience store.

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Nixon said he had been unaware the Ferguson, Missouri, police were going to release the tape. And he suggested the move was an attempt by law enforcement authorities to paint Brown — whom an officer shot to death last Saturday — as a criminal and not an innocent victim.

"To attempt to in essence disparage the character of this victim in the middle of a process is not right," Nixon said. "It's just not right."

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"When you see your son gunned down in the street and then you see a police chief begin an attempt to attack his character, that's just not the way to operate and we've made that clear to everyone," he added.

The release of the video led to another round of unrest in Ferguson over the weekend that left one man shot and in critical condition. Seven others were arrested Sunday morning after defying a midnight-to-five a.m. curfew, as police once again used tear gas and smoke canisters to disperse protesters. --Jon Terbush