Man Charged After Entering Cottage Grove Elementary School With Knife
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man is charged after police say he entered a Cottage Grove elementary school entryway with a large knife.
Staff quickly moved children to safety as the man allegedly damaged doors and windows with the knife before being taken into custody.
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Touyer Yang, 46, of Cottage Grove is charged with possessing a dangerous weapon on school property, threats of violence, first-degree property damage and two counts of driving while impaired stemming from the Feb. 3 incident at Cottage Grove Elementary School, according to a criminal complaint.
Police say officers were called to the school just before noon after reports that a man was locked inside the vestibule with a knife. Staff members told investigators they had noticed a black pickup truck driving erratically through the parking lot moments earlier. One employee reported watching the driver pull through a row of parked cars, run over a traffic cone and then stop before exiting the truck.
According to the complaint, Yang walked into the school’s vestibule holding a knife, waving it around and yelling. Staff inside the building could hear the yelling but could not make out what was being said. One employee said Yang banged on the vestibule doors and windows with the knife while several children were in a common area just beyond the doors. Teachers quickly moved children into classrooms and other areas of the building. Staff members described being afraid and said some children were visibly frightened after seeing the knife.
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Officers arrived and took Yang into custody. Police later documented multiple marks on all four vestibule doors and windows, consistent with being struck by a knife. Investigators estimate the damage exceeded $1,000 in repair and replacement costs.
Police say Yang’s black pickup truck was found running in front of the school with a traffic cone stuck underneath it. During an inventory search, officers recovered six additional knives from inside the truck, including three large knives in the driver’s door pocket and another large kitchen knife in the passenger door pocket. Investigators say Yang had brought one additional knife with him into the school.
Based on his behavior and driving conduct, officers conducted a DWI investigation. The complaint states Yang showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot and watery eyes, a strong odor of alcohol and swaying during field sobriety testing. He declined a preliminary breath test and later refused a chemical test after being advised multiple times that refusal is a crime. While in the booking room, police say Yang admitted several times to drinking alcohol and driving to the school.
Yang faces up to five years in prison on the possession of a dangerous weapon and damage to property charge. The threats of violence charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Yang made an initial court appearance where bail was set at $5,000 with conditions including remain law-abiding, no alcohol use, alcohol monitoring and random testing.
