NEW ORLEANS – Billy Ceravolo, one of the key witnesses in the Cardell Hayes trial and a good friend of Will Smith’s, has been reinstated to the NOPD’s reserve unit, a day after he was cleared of any wrongdoing at the scene of Will Smith’s killing.
The department confirmed the reinstatement in a statement to WWL-TV’s news partners at The New Orleans Advocate.
Defense lawyers for Hayes had accused Ceravolo of taking a gun from Smith’s SUV after the shooting, which led to Ceravolo being suspended from the Reserve Division, where he served after retiring.
Ceravolo’s attorney said the accusations surfaced at the worst time for her client.
“Billy was at Will’s wake when he was contacted by the NOPD that he had to go turn in his gun and badge,” said Tanya Picou Faia, Ceravolo’s attorney. “He couldn’t even mourn Will at Will’s funeral with Will’s children, his family, Bill’s children, who have a close familial relationship without being contacted about turning in his credentials because of the allegations made in the press.”
Faia also said he’s considering filing a defamation suit against attorney John Fuller, who represented Hayes.