Nixon trip to Joplin High School three days after Ferguson shooting criticized

Gov. Jay Nixon has come under heavy criticism for maintaining his routine schedule in the days immediately following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

That itinerary included a stop at the new Joplin High School three days after the shooting:

On Monday, Nixon talked by phone with St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and later released a statement asking the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Brown's shooting.

But Nixon, a Democrat, kept on with his regular schedule. He met with staff about a planned trade trip to Canada, still intending to be gone from Aug. 17-22. He spoke to a group of conservation and wildlife leaders, and attended meetings at the Capitol about gubernatorial appointments and the budget.

In Ferguson, meanwhile, Brown's family was holding a news conference pleading for peace. Monday night, police in riot gear used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters.

On Tuesday, Rev. Al Sharpton arrived in St. Louis for a news conference with Brown's family. Nixon flew to the opposite corner of Missouri, announcing grants to improve two rural preschools.

The governor traveled to St. Louis on Tuesday evening to meet with local police and attend a community forum in Ferguson's neighboring city of Florissant. Then he flew back to the capital. That night, protests continued.

On Wednesday, Nixon was particularly busy. He met with Democratic House members in Jefferson City. He flew to Joplin to tour a new high school, rebuilt after a deadly 2011 tornado for which Nixon received rave reviews about his disaster management. Then, he went to the State Fair in Sedalia, where he met backstage with the band Florida Georgia Line.

In Ferguson, police were again firing tear gas at protesters, some of whom lobbed Molotov cocktails back. Two journalists were among those arrested.