Slain Ex-Football Player Will Smith Dined With Ex-Cop Named in Lawsuit Filed by Alleged Killer Just Before Shooting

Before he was fatally shot Saturday evening, former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith and his wife met up with two men for dinner – former Saints teammate Pierre Thomas and
A New Orleans Police Department spokesman tells PEOPLE that Ceravolo and Smith, 34, did, in fact, dine together prior to Saturday night's shooting. Meanwhile, court records confirm that the ex-cop was one seven parties Hayes sued following his father's 2005 shooting death at the hands of police.

Hayes's father, Anthony, was shot nine times the
night of Dec. 26, 2005, after allegedly refusing orders from police who'd spotted him walking down the street with a small knife. The suit, which sought $4 million in damages, was settled out of court in 2011 but the terms of the settlement agreement remain under a court-ordered seal.

In his suit, Hayes, 28, alleged police used excessive force in their handling of his father, who had a history of mental illness, according to the filing. The suit alleged that the city failed to properly train its police.

A motion to dismiss the suit, filed by attorneys for the city, alleged that Anthony Hayes pointed his knife at Ceravolo before lunging at him. Other officers, fearing for the captain's life, opened fire, but Ceravolo’s gun remained holstered.

A police spokesman tells PEOPLE authorities do not believe the 2005 incident provoked Saturday's shooting, but he noted investigators have not ruled a connection out.

William Ceravolo, a former New Orleans police captain named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in 2006 by Smith's alleged killer, Cardell Hayes, PEOPLE confirms.

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