The son of North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer led police on a car chase in a stolen vehicle on Wednesday that resulted in the death of a sheriff’s deputy.
In a statement Cramer said his son Ian Cramer, 42, “was involved in a police chase which resulted in an accident that killed an officer. “
The senator wrote that his son “suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations.” On Wednesday he insisted on “going to his brother Ike,” who died in 2018.
The senator’s wife, Kris, took Ian to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck. When she got out of the family’s Chevrolet Tahoe, “Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and fled,” according to the statement. The senator’s daughter was able to track the vehicle with her cellphone and alerted the police.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said it received a report about a stolen 2017 Black Chevy Tahoe being driven by Ian Cramer, CBS News reports.
Mercer County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the vehicle in Hazen, but when they approached Cramer he fled and a chase began.
“During the pursuit, the vehicle Cramer was driving veered and crashed head-on into an unoccupied Mercer County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle that was parked on a roadside approach,” the highway patrol said.
A Mercer County Deputy was standing outside and behind the patrol vehicle preparing to “deploy a tire deflation device” in an attempt to end the pursuit, when the patrol car was hit.
“The impact of the crash pushed the patrol vehicle into the deputy, killing him,” the statement said.
Cramer was taken into custody and transported to a medical center in Hazen before he was taken to the McLean County Detention Center in Stanton.
Ian Cramer was charged with manslaughter, fleeing a police officer, reckless endangerment, and a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended license, according to court records. The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.Â
“I will take the first flight I can to be with our family as we grieve what has happened. We grieve especially for the family of the hero who tried to help Ian, and we pray for our gracious God to show up as He always does in tragedy,” Sen. Cramer said in his statement. “We ask the public for prayers for the lost officer’s family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us.”
The deputy was identified as Paul Martin, 53, an 18-year veteran of the sheriff’s office.
“Our entire community has suffered the tragic loss of Deputy Paul Martin,” Sheriff Terry Ternes said in a statement. “He is our beloved brother in law enforcement, a husband, father and grandpa. Our wound is raw, and our hearts are broken. We will put one foot in front of the other and move forward slowly, honoring all the wishes humanly possible of his wife and family.”
This post was updated to include the name of the deputy killed and the charges Ian Cramer faces.
