Michigan MP Neil Friske arrested and now faces sexual assault charges

(CBS-DETROIT) – A Michigan state legislator was arrested in Lansing early Thursday after police were called to the area on a report of shots fired.

Republican Rep. Neil Friske of Charlevoix was arrested at 2:45 a.m. in the 2100 block of Forest Road.

When officers arrived, they contacted everyone involved in the incident, said Jordan Gulkis, Lansing Police Department spokesman.

According to Ingham County District Attorney John J. Dewane, during the initial investigation, officers also learned of a possible sexual assault on a woman.

Friske was arrested on a felony charge, but police did not release further details about the nature of the incident.

The police department filed a search warrant on June 21, and after an initial review, Dewane said Friday he asked Lansing police to continue the investigation.

Friske was released from custody at around 11:30 a.m. on Friday. He is scheduled to appear in court this weekend.

His campaign issued a statement claiming Friske was “exercising his 2nd Amendment right to the U.S. Constitution” and said they had no further details “other than sources identified by the media, oddly enough before any of us knew.”

The statement continued: “We ask everyone for prayers and to stay tuned for updates directly from this campaign or from Rep. Friske himself. Thank you for the outpouring of concern and unwavering support we have received this morning.”

The statement also raised doubts about the “timing of this situation,” as the campaign called it.

Police report that Friske was arrested at 2:45 a.m., but the politician apparently made two social media posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) afterward.

At 3:25 a.m., a post was published that said, “This is a metaphorical illustration of why I vote the way I do in Lansing. I will not give in to pressure from special interests. I am not afraid of false accusations like ‘Friske is for AI porn’ when a law denies THE PEOPLE their right to reasonable self-defense.”

The following post at 3:26 a.m. stated: “As a Republican in the minority government, I have been sounding the alarm about these ‘Trojan Donkey’ bills from the beginning. My opponent has made it clear that he will work with the Democrats, and all he can do is try to discredit my pro-liberty voting record.”

Friske represents Charlevoix and Emmet counties, as well as parts of Cheboygan, Chippewa and Mackinac counties. He is seeking re-election.