Man charged after wielding knife at Cottage Grove Elementary School

COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man was charged after he reportedly brandished a knife at Cottage Grove Elementary. 

Police say the man, 46-year-old Touyer Yang, was arrested on Feb. 3 after being found in the school vestibule with a large butcher knife. Officers responded to reports of Yang driving erratically in the parking lot and entering the school vestibule with the weapon.

Cottage Grove man charged

What we know:

Yang faces several charges, including possessing a dangerous weapon on school property, making threats of violence, and causing property damage exceeding $1,000. He is also charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to court documents, a school employee walked into the building and told another employee there was a black pick-up truck that was driving "erratically" in the school parking lot. The first employee said Yang was taking pictures of her on his phone as he was driving in the parking lot. 

As the two employees were talking, Yang parked his truck and walked into the school's vestibule with the knife in his hand. He was allegedly waving the knife around and yelling. 

The charges say a third employee saw Yang banging on the vestibule doors with the knife in his hand. There were several children in the common area who saw Yang and became frightened. The children were taken into a classroom for safety. 

Officers found multiple knives in his truck, which was parked outside the school. A traffic cone was also stuck underneath the truck. 

Sobriety test refusal

Dig deeper:

Police noted Yang's bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol. Despite being informed that refusing a test is a crime, Yang declined to take a breath test. He later admitted to drinking before going to the school.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear what motivated Yang's actions or if there were any prior incidents involving him at the school.