Halifax police officer pleads not guilty to assault, trial dates set

An on-duty Halifax Regional Police officer charged with assaulting a 54-year-old man at a homeless shelter will stand trial this fall.

Nova Scotia’s Public Prosecution Service says Const. Laurence Gary Basso’s case was in Halifax provincial court Tuesday, and trial dates were set for Nov. 26 and 27.

READ MORE: Halifax police officer charged with assault after SiRT investigation

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Basso also faces public mischief and breach of trust charges stemming from an incident at Metro Turning Point, the city’s largest shelter for men.

The Serious Incident Response Team, Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, has said it laid the charges following an investigation that began in March into allegations the police officer had assaulted a person at the facility.

Halifax police have said they contacted SIRT investigators on March 4 after receiving information from a member of the public about the alleged assault.

Basso was placed on administrative duties at that time, and was suspended with pay after the charges were announced.