In the wake of the tragic death of Madison Police Officer Randy Tyler and the serious injury of a Brandon police officer on Thursday, Community Bank moved quickly to find out how they could help.

On Friday, representatives of the bank announced an account to benefit Tyler’s family.

“Community Bank is deeply grateful for Officer Tyler and his service to our community,” their release said.

President and CEO of Community Bank’s Central Mississippi operations Marc Petro said there’s a reason the bank stepped forward after Thursday’s events.

“The culture of Community Bank has always been to give back to the community,” he said. “The majority of the population is going to go to work and is going to come home safely after work. These first responders, there’s a very good chance that they may not come home.”

Tyler, a former Ridgeland Police Chief and current Madison Special Response Team officer, Field Training Coordinator, and Narcotics Division Supervisor, was shot twice with a high-powered rifle during a standoff Thursday.

Petro said he personally knows the fear that comes with having a first responder in the family, and that everytime a situation like this comes up, he is reminded of what that was like. Petro’s father Andy Petro fought fire with the enthusiasm of a rookie until the age of 77 when he died of Covid he contracted in the line of duty.

“This is very dear to me personally because my dad was a volunteer firefighter in Leland for 56 years and we lived with the fear that he may go on a call and not come home,” he said. “The entire staff of Community Bank mourns the loss of Officer Tyler and we are also praying for the recovery of the Brandon police officer.”

Donations may be made at any of the 54 Community Bank locations.