A son of North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer faces a manslaughter charge among other felonies after his involvement in a police chase on Wednesday evening that ended with a crash that killed a deputy, the lawmaker and authorities said.
In a statement, the freshman Republican senator said his 42-year-old son, Ian Cramer, had been in the pursuit which “resulted in an accident that killed an officer.” “Ian suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations,” Sen. Cramer added.
The deputy was identified as 53-year-old Paul Martin.
The statement continued to explain that Cramer’s wife, Kris, “was with Ian when he insisted on going to his brother Ike. Ike died in 2018.” Cramer explained that Kris took Ian to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck.
“When she got out of our vehicle, Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and fled,” Cramer said. “Our daughter was able to track the car through Kris’ cell phone and lead officers to him in Mercer County, ND. We don’t have more details right now but will work with authorities to properly inform the public.”
Ian Cramer faces four felony charges—manslaughter, fleeing a peace officer, preventing arrest and reckless endangerment—as well as the misdemeanor driving under suspension, according to online court records.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said it received a report of a vehicle stolen from Bismarck, CBS News reports, specifically a 2017 Black Chevy Tahoe being driven by Ian Cramer.
The Tahoe was spotted in Hazen by deputies with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, according to the highway patrol, but Cramer fled when the deputies approached, beginning the chase.
It was during the pursuit that the vehicle Cramer was driving “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 when it was struck. The impact of the crash pushed the patrol vehicle into the deputy, killing him,” the highway patrol added. The deputy was preparing to “deploy a tire deflation device” in an attempt to stop the pursuit when he was hit.
The highway patrol said Cramer was taken into custody and taken first to a medical center in Hazen and then the McLean County Detention Center in Stanton. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
In his statement, Sen. Cramer said he would “take the first flight” to go and grieve with his family. “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,” he said. “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. We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply.”
Mercer County Sheriff Terry Ternes said in a Facebook post that Martin “is our beloved brother in law enforcement, a husband, father, and grandpa. Our wound is raw, and our hearts are broken.”