- State Rep. Neil Friske, 62, was arrested around 2:45 a.m., according to police
- Officers responded to a report of possible shots fired, a spokesperson said
- “It is clear that Rep. Friske is overreaching in this race,” his campaign said
A Republican lawmaker from northern Michigan was arrested early Thursday morning after police responded to reports of a man with a gun and possible shots fired.
Neil Friske, 62, has a reputation as a hardline conservative and has put faith and family at the heart of his campaign to be re-elected to the House of Representatives.
He was arrested after chasing an adult dancer following a disagreement Michigan Information and Research Servicethat covers the state capital.
His campaign soon released a bizarre statement suggesting the case was politically motivated.
“As many of us know, Representative Friske always exercises his Second Amendment rights,” the report said.
According to police in Lansing, Michigan, Neil Friske was arrested on the street near his home around 2:45 a.m. Thursday.
“We have no details, other than what the media gathered, strangely before any of us knew anything.
“It’s very suspicious given the timing of this situation.”
It went on to say that the arrest occurred just before absentee ballots were released and days after an unknown phone number conducted a poll on Friske’s race against an “opponent with deep state ties.”
“We ask everyone for prayers and to stay tuned for updates directly from this campaign or Rep. Friske himself,” it said.
“Thank you for the outpouring of concern and continued support we received this morning. It is clear that Representative Friske has overreached in this race.”
A request for comment from his campaign was not immediately returned.
“On 6/20/24 around 2:45 a.m., members of the Lansing Police Department were dispatched to the 2100 block of Forest Rd for a report of a man with a gun, as well as possible shots fired,” police said. spokesperson Jordan Gulkis.
“Our officers responded quickly and contacted all parties involved. A suspect was arrested for a crime.”
Friske’s campaign released a statement claiming the arrest was politically motivated
Friske’s Facebook page contains photos of him using firearms
Gulkis added that the investigation was continuing and that evidence would be presented to prosecutors on Friday for possible charges.
Property records show he was arrested near an apartment he owns, according to the Detroit News.
About 40 minutes after police said Friske was arrested, two posts appeared on his X account discussing legislation banning pornography produced by AI without the consent of the people in the photo.
‘I’m not going to give in 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 right to properly defend themselves,” his account posted at 3:25 am, along with a follow-up.
Friske is one of the toughest conservatives in the House of Representatives. He is a member of the Freedom Caucus, which opposes the vast majority of legislation brought before them in the Democratic-led Legislature.