Michigan Rep. Neil Friske arrested, now facing potential sexual assault charges
(CBS DETROIT) - A Michigan lawmaker was arrested in Lansing early Thursday after police were dispatched to the area on a report of shots being fired.
Rep. Neil Friske, R-Charlevoix, was arrested at 2:45 a.m. in the 2100 block of Forest Road.
When officers arrived, they made contact with everyone involved in the incident, according to Jordan Gulkis, the public information officer for the Lansing Police Department.
During the initial investigation, officers also learned about the possible sexual assault of a woman, according to Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney John J. Dewane.
Friske was arrested for a felony-level offense, but police did not share any further details on the nature of the incident.
The police department submitted a warrant request on June 21, and after an initial review, Dewane said Friday that he asked Lansing police to continue investigating.
Friske was released from custody around 11:30 a.m. Friday. He is expected to be arraigned over the weekend.
His campaign issued a statement claiming Friske was "exercising his 2nd Amendment right," and saying they do not have any further details "besides what the media sourced, oddly before anyone of us knew anything."
The statement went on to say, "We ask everyone for prayers and to stay tuned for updates directly from this campaign or Representative Friske himself. Thank you for the outpouring of concern and unwavering support we have received this morning."
The statement also threw suspicious over what the campaign called "the timing of this situation."
The police department reports that Friske was arrested at 2:45 a.m., but the lawmaker appeared to have posted two social media posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, following that time.
At 3:25 a.m., a post was made saying, "This is a metaphoric visual of why I vote the way I do in Lansing. I'm not going to cave to the pressure of special interest. I'm not afraid of the false accusations, like 'Friske is for AI Porn' when a bill denies THE PEOPLE their rights to properly defend themselves."
The following post, made at 3:26 a.m., said, "Since the beginning, as a House Republican in the minority power, I have sounded the alarm on these "Trojan-Donkey" bills. My opponent has made it clear that he will work with the Democrats, and all he can do is try and discredit my pro-freedom voting record."
Friske represents Charlevoix and Emmet counties, as well as portions of Cheboygan, Chippewa and Mackinac counties. He is seeking reelection.
