Lakeville police and school leaders say staff members’ response to a suspicious man with weapons outside a high school in May proves that the “active shooter” training the district held in August was a success.

Michael O. Adrian, 26, of Apple Valley was seen skateboarding outside Lakeville North High School on May 22, wearing military dress with a bandana over his face, according to court records. School staffers confronted Adrian and he told them he was a “public servant” going to different places to see if people would stop him.

Adrian told the staffers he was testing the school’s security and planned to try to enter the building, court records said. Staff noticed he had an arrow strapped to his arm and called police.

Officers confronted Adrian about 11:10 a.m. and they described him as uncooperative, according to court records. The searched him and found throwing knives, a box-cutter, a slingshot and pepper spray.

He told police he was trying to test school security by “looking like an a–hole,” according to the criminal complaint filed against him.

Adrian also was spotted last week in the neighborhood of Oak Hills Elementary School. He was never on school property but was questioned by police, district leaders said.

After those incidents, Adrian was booked June 7 into the Dakota County Jail, where he remains in lieu of $40,000 bail. He faces a felony charge of possessing a dangerous weapon on school property that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Adrian appeared in court Tuesday, and a judge ordered a mental evaluation.

Court records show Adrian has a history of arrests for petty crimes, including drunken driving, drug possession and drug paraphernalia.

Superintendent Lisa Snyder acknowledged some parents were upset the district did not share information about Adrian’s actions sooner. Snyder said that there was no imminent threat and that she stands by her decision to wait until police investigated the incident before notifying parents.

The district sent an email to parents June 2.

“Whenever there is an incident on our campuses, the police become the decision makers, and we take the lead from them, as is our protocol,” the email from Snyder said. “The police deemed that students and staff were never at risk.”

Linda Swanson, district spokeswoman, said the “active shooter training” the district and city public safety agencies had in August helped staff quickly respond to the incident.

On the city police department’s Facebook page, Police Chief Jeff Long wrote that while Adrian’s actions are disturbing, there was never a threat to students.

“We have a wonderful partnership with the schools, and because of the partnership this incident was handled effectively and without confrontation,” Long wrote. “At no time was anyone’s safety in danger.”

Christopher Magan can be reached at 651-228-5557. Follow him at twitter.com/chris_magan.