CRIME
Sen. Kevin Cramer’s Son Arrested After Chase, Crash That Killed Sheriff’s Deputy
senatorkevincramer/Instagram
The son of US Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) was arrested Wednesday after leading law enforcement on a chase that resulted in the death of a Mercer County sheriff’s deputy, authorities said.
The Bismarck Police Department said it initially responded to the emergency room at Sanford Hospital at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after 42-year-old Ian Cramer stole his mother’s car and crashed it into the ambulance bay during an apparent mental health episode.
According to a statement from Sen. Cramer, his son suffers mental health issues and his wife, Kris, was trying to bring him to the hospital.
Ian suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations. Kris was with Ian when he insisted on going to his brother Ike. Ike died in 2018, Cramer wrote in a personal statement posted to his Senate website.
Kris took Ian to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck. When she got out of our vehicle, Ian jumped into the drivers seat and fled. Our daughter was able to track the car through Kris cell phone and lead officers to him in Mercer County, he said.
According to police, Ian Cramer had already left the scene when they arrived, but his mother’s cell phone was still in the car, allowing his sister to track it.
Multiple nearby law enforcement agencies responded, including the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed Cramer crashed into the vehicle of Deputy Paul Martin. He was standing outside the vehicle preparing to deploy a tire deflation device to stop Cramer’s vehicle, and was killed.
Our entire community has suffered the tragic loss of Deputy Paul Martin. He is our beloved brother in law enforcement, a husband, father, and grandpa. Our wound is raw, and our hearts are broken, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“I will take the first flight I can to be with our family as we grieve what has happened, Sen. Cramer said. 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. We ask the public for prayers for the lost officers 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.”
Bismarck police said the investigation is ongoing.
TMX contributed to this article.
