GOP Rep. Friske arrested on unknown charges after police receive report of man with gun
Lansing — State Rep. Neil Friske was arrested here early Thursday morning on an unspecified charge after police responded to “a report of a man with a weapon and possible gunshots,” according to Lansing police.
Jordan Gulkis, a spokeswoman for Lansing police, said officers were dispatched at 2:45 a.m. Thursday to the 2100 block of Forest Road in Lansing, near where Friske’s condo is located, according to public records. “Our officers responded quickly and made contact with everyone involved,” Gulkis said.
Friske, 62, a Republican from Charlevoix, was arrested shortly after officers arrived at the scene “on a serious misdemeanor,” Gulkis said.
The Ingham County District Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the charges, Gulkis said, and Friske is expected to go to court Friday or Saturday if the charges are approved. Ingham County Jail officials said Thursday morning that Friske is being held at the Lansing Police Department Jail.
Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane said Thursday he expects a report from Lansing police on Friday regarding Friske’s arrest and subsequent investigation.
“At this point, a decision will be made as to whether charges will be filed,” Dewane told The Detroit News.
Neighbors on Windbreak Lane, where Friske owns a condo, said Thursday they did not see or hear any unrest in the middle of the night, but did see police cars parked outside the apartment building Thursday morning.
Around noon on Thursday, Friske’s campaign posted a statement on its Facebook page in response to the arrest, suggesting that a firearm was involved.
“As many of us know, Rep. Friske always exercises his 2nd Amendment rights,” the Friske campaign said in a statement. “…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 support and unwavering support we received this morning. Rep. Friske has clearly exceeded his goal in this race.”
Friske faces a primary election on August 6 against Parker Fairbairn of Harbor Springs. The winner of the primary is expected to seek re-election in the fall in the Republican stronghold, which includes Charlevoix and Emmet counties and parts of Mackinac and Chippewa counties in the Upper Peninsula.
Fairbairn said in a statement that Friske is presumed innocent until proven guilty of an alleged crime, but added that the MP had an “abysmal and immoral voting record.”
“He has voted against protecting spouses from marital rape, against making child marriage illegal, against tax cuts for veterans – and just last week he voted against making it illegal to create AI ‘deep fake’ pornography using the likeness of our daughters and wives,” Fairbairn said. “Neil deserves his time in court, and the people of the 107th District deserve better than Neil.”
Forty minutes after Lansing police announced Friske’s arrest, at 3:25 a.m., Friske posted two tweets on his X account (formerly Twitter) referencing a law that prohibits the use of artificial intelligence to produce pornography without the consent of the person depicted.
“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,” Friske tweeted at 3:25 a.m.
In a second tweet at 3:26 a.m., Friske added: “…My opponent has made it clear he will work with the Democrats, and all he can do is try to discredit my pro-liberty voting record.”
Friske was one of two lawmakers in the 110-member House of Representatives who voted against anti-AI porn legislation last week.
In the House chamber Thursday morning, Democratic Speaker Joe Tate of Detroit told reporters he had just been informed of Friske’s arrest but could not immediately comment until Lansing police released more details.
Friske is one of the most conservative members of the House and is a member of the Michigan House Freedom Caucus. According to Friske’s biography, he and his brother operate Friske Orchards in Ellsworth. Neil Friske is the owner of Friske & Sons Property Management, A Harbor Springs business he founded in 1998, according to state records.
The congressman’s biography states that Friske is the father of four children and five grandchildren, “is involved in the local church where he worships” and is a member of Right to Life, Farm Bureau, Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the National Rifle Association.
Friske is not married and, according to Hoadley, previously rented a home in Lansing with Republican state Rep. Mike Hoadley (Au Gres) until he bought a condo in December.
“I haven’t spoken to Neil much in a while,” Hoadley said Thursday. “But I can say that when we lived together, he was always a very respectful roommate. When he was single, he never brought women home or got up to any mischief. He always seemed to be on the straight and narrow, I always thought. As far as I know, he doesn’t drink.”
Hoadley said deputies are waiting to learn more about the incident that led to Friske’s arrest “and find out what really happened.”
“At this point,” Hoadley said, “we give the representative the benefit of the doubt.”
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