Police learn of possible sexual assault in Friske case – 9&10 News

LANSING – While investigating the arrest of House Representative Neil Friske on Thursday, police learned of a “possible sexual assault of an adult female” in connection with the incident, according to the Ingham County District Attorney.

Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane issued a statement Friday morning confirming that Lansing police had filed arrest warrants with unspecified charges against Friske.

Police said yesterday that Friske was arrested on possible “aggravated crime” charges after receiving reports early Thursday morning of a man with a gun and possible gunshots. Friske was arrested around 3 a.m. Thursday in a suburb south of Lansing.

No further information was available regarding the specific charges that the police may have requested.

According to an LPD spokesman, Friske, a Republican from Charlevoix, was in the process of being released Friday afternoon and is expected to appear in court in the next few days.

Spokespersons for the Republican Party and MIGOP in the House of Representatives declined to comment.

Friske’s campaign released a statement on social media early Thursday afternoon claiming the arrest may have been politically motivated.

“This morning we were informed that Representative Friske is being arrested and detained. As many of us know, Representative Friske is always exercising his 2nd Amendment rights,” they wrote. “We have no details other than what the media has, oddly enough before any of us knew.”

The statement added that the timing of the arrest was “highly suspicious” given that the incident occurred so close to the August 6 primary election and that an organization recently conducted a poll between Friske and his Republican opponent, Parker Fairbairn.

Friske was elected to represent the state’s 107th congressional district in 2022 and is currently running for re-election. His district includes Charlevoix, Petoskey, East Jordan, St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.

He is considered one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives and often votes against bills with broad bipartisan support.