North Dakota senator’s son charged with manslaughter after officer killed in police chase

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer’s son has been charged with manslaughter after his alleged involvement in a police chase that resulted in the death of a sheriff’s deputy Wednesday night.

Ian Cramer, 42, faces manslaughter, fleeing an officer and other charges in connection with the incident in Mercer County, North Dakota, according to court records. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges, which were first reported by The Associated Press.

A police pursuit of Cramer ended in a crash that killed sheriff deputy Paul Martin, who had taken cover behind his vehicle after laying a tire deflation device in the road, court documents said.

In a statement Thursday, the Republican senator said that his son suffers from “serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations,” and that his family is grieving the death of the sheriff’s deputy.

“We grieve especially for the family of the hero who tried to help Ian,” Cramer 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.”

Sen. Cramer said that his wife, Kris, was with their son “when he insisted on going to his brother” Isaac Cramer, who died in 2018 after being hospitalized with liver and kidney failure stemming from alcoholism, The Bismarck Tribune reported at the time.

On Wednesday, Kris Cramer took her son to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck, the senator said, adding that when his wife got out of the vehicle, “Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and fled.”

According to Bismarck police, officers were called to the Sanford emergency room to respond to a damaged ambulance bay door at the Sanford Emergency Department, and learned that Ian Cramer had “allegedly rammed the doors” of the bay and fled after his mother brought him there over signs of mental health issues.

A Bismarck Police Department spokesperson and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ian Cramer’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Friday.