Grover D. Cannon, the accused killer of Shreveport police officer Thomas Lavalley, appeared Tuesday, November 29, 2016, in Caddo District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s courtroom for a sanity hearing that had been reset from earlier in the month.

After hearing from three expert witnesses, Emanuel found Cannon competent to proceed to trial.

Defense attorneys requested, and were granted, a continuance of a February trial date Emanuel set in April. The new trial date for Cannon is July 24, 2017. Cannon’s next appearance before Emanuel will be March 2, 2017, for hearings on pending motions.

Cannon is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the August 5, 2015 slaying of Shreveport police officer Lavalley. He also faces an attempted second-degree murder charge in connection with a July 15, 2015 attack on another individual, as well as a charge of battery on a police officer for a December 1, 2015 incident that occurred while he was incarcerated.

Caddo Parish prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Cannon if convicted of the death of Lavalley, 29, who was shot and killed in the Queensborough neighborhood after responding to a report of a prowler. Lavalley joined the Shreveport Police Department in 2011. He had previously worked at KTBS TV in Shreveport as a sports reporter.

Prosecutors are Caddo ADAs Ed Blewer, Bill Edwards and Ron Stamps. Cannon will be defended by the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana, out of New Orleans, with lead attorney Kimya Holmes.