Officers from the Cottage Grove Police Department responded just before noon to a report that someone was at the school waving a butcher knife and possibly intoxicated, police said in a statement posted on social media.
A caller told police that the man had been seen “driving erratically in the school’s parking lot,” police said.
“All students and staff of the school are safe,” police said. “The individual never went beyond the locked vestibule, and responding officers were able to safely apprehend the individual without incident.”
A 46-year-old Cottage Grove man was arrested within six minutes of the initial call. He was taken to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater.
“The safety of our students and staff is our absolute priority,” South Washington County Schools Superintendent Julie Nielsen wrote in a letter to families sent Tuesday night. “We are incredibly grateful for the swift response of our school team and the Cottage Grove Police Department.”
Nielsen credited “secured entryways provided by taxpayer support” with playing a critical role in keeping everyone safe.
“Please continue to support our work in staying vigilant and reporting potential issues immediately,” she wrote. “It takes all of us working together to ensure our communities are safe places to live and learn.”
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