LANSING, MI – Lansing police say a Republican state lawmaker was arrested early Thursday after they responded to his neighborhood on reports of a man with a gun and possible shots fired.
State Rep. Neil Friske, R-Charlevoix, was arrested for an alleged felony-level offense following the incident, according to Lansing police. The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to review the case Friday for possible charges.
The incident unfolded around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, June 20, when Lansing police received reports of a man with a gun and possible shots fired in a neighborhood off of Forest Road between Aurelius Road and I-496, according to Lansing Police Department spokesperson Jordan Gulkis.
The police spokesperson has not released details about what led up to the possible shots fired.
Ingham County property records show Friske owns a home in the neighborhood.
Lansing police officers talked with everyone involved and arrested Friske, 62. Gulkis said no further information about the incident is being released at this time.
Related: State lawmaker arrested in Lansing on undisclosed charges
In a statement on social media Thursday afternoon, Friske’s campaign said the lawmaker is “always exercising his 2nd Amendment right” and that they know nothing about the incident other than what has been reported in the media.
The campaign called the timing of the incident “highly suspect” and suggested it is related to Friske’s reelection campaign and his upcoming Aug. 6 primary battle against a Republican opponent who they allege has “deep-state ties.”
“We ask everyone for prayers and to stay tuned for updates directly from this campaign or Representative Friske himself,” campaign officials wrote. “Thank you for the outpouring of concern and unwavering support we have received this morning. Clearly, Rep. Friske is over the target in this race.”
Friske is serving out his first term in the state House. He was elected to the seat representing all of Charlevoix and Emmet counties and portions of Cheboygan, Chippewa, and Mackinac counties in 2022.
Friske is up for reelection this year and faces one challenger, Parker Fairbairn, in the Aug. 6 Republican primary. In a statement, Fairbairn said Friske should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
However, Fairbairn said, the people of his district deserve better than Friske and his voting record.
“I’m running against Neil because he has an abysmal and immoral voting record, and the families of the 107th District deserve better,” Fairbairn wrote. “Since going to Lansing, Neil has voted against nearly every pro-family and conservative value issue that he’s had the chance to vote on.
“He voted against protecting spouses from marital rape, voted against making child marriage illegal, voting against tax cuts for veterans — and just this past week, he voted against making it illegal to create AI ‘deepfake’ pornography using the likeness of our daughters and wives. Neil deserves his time in court, and the people of the 107th District deserve better than Neil.”
Fairbairn is a small business owner, according to his campaign page.
Friske is a member of the highly conservative House Freedom Caucus and owner of Friske and Sons Property Management.
According to Friske’s biography, he serves at his local church and is a member of the National Rifle Association, Farm Bureau, Michigan United Conservation Clubs and Right to Life.