St. Landry Bank and Trust Company CEO Robert S. Tomlinson, III issued the following letter in response to an incident the occurred at the downtown Opelousas main office of the bank yesterday morning:
A Message from St Landry Bank and Trust Company CEO Robert Tomlinson, III
On Wednesday, April 12 at approximately 9:37am, a man wearing a hoodie entered the main branch of St. Landry Bank in Opelousas and approached a bank teller asking for money. The man kept his hand in his hoodie pocket insinuating that he may have a weapon and indicated that he was robbing the bank.
Bank staff properly followed procedure, cornplied all requests, and immediately contacted law enforcement. At no time was a weapon visible or any verbal threats made toward an employee or customer. Additionally, all staff and customers in the lobby remained calm and sheltered in place during the event. The Opelousas Police Department responded quickly to the bank, and the man was taken into custody without further incident.
I’d like to commend the Opelousas Police Department for the quick, calm, and precise response to the event. Chief LeBlanc and his officers handled an extremely difficult and potentially violent situation with professionalism and restraint. It was also noted that the real-time information that staff relayed over the phone was critical in the measured response of law enforcement. Also, I cannot show enough gratitude toward our staff and customers for their composure under such stressful circumstances.
The individual was under obvious mental and emotional distress. The bank and entire community couldn’t have hoped for a safer resolution to this event, and again thank you to all involved in the peaceful resolution. We also thank the community for all concerns and prayers.
Robert S. Tomlinson 111
