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North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer's son faces murder charge in officer's death

Ian Cramer was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen when he crashed into a patrol car. This resulted in the death of Paul Martin, a sheriff's deputy.

Mercer County Deputy Killed

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Verónica Silveri Pazos

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Ian Cramer - son of North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer - now faces a murder charge for killing a law enforcement officer (deputy sheriff). The 42-year-old man had initially been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the same event.

The incident occurred on September 6 when Cramer was fleeing from a law enforcement officer. The man was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen, so the authorities demanded that he stop. Cramer ignored the signal and decided to flee.

A police chase ensued, culminating in Cramer's car crashing into a vehicle parked at the Mercer County Sheriff's Office. There -outside the car- was 53-year-old Deputy Paul Martin, who died due to the "impact of the crash." The highway patrol stated, "The impact of the crash pushed the patrol car into the officer, killing him."

Cramer charged with felonies

Cramer is charged with several felonies. Among them: hindering arrest, reckless endangerment and fleeing a police officer. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 18. The senator's son had previously been charged with misdemeanor offenses: possession of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

Senator Cramer made a statement regarding the facts of the case. He claimed that his son suffers from "severe mental disorders manifesting in severe paranoia and hallucinations" and mourned the loss of the officer:

This afternoon, our son Ian, 42, was involved in a police chase that resulted in an accident in which an officer was killed. Ian suffers from severe mental disorders that manifest in intense paranoia and hallucinations. Kris was with Ian when he insisted on going with his brother Ike. Ike died in 2018. Kris drove Ian to the emergency room at Sanford Health in Bismarck. When he exited our vehicle, Ian jumped into the driver's seat and fled. Our daughter was able to track the car through Kris' cell phone and lead officers to him in Mercer County, North Dakota. We have no further details at this time, but will work with authorities to properly inform the public.
I will take the first flight I can to be with our family as we mourn what happened. We especially mourn the family of the hero who tried to help Ian and pray that our merciful God will show up as He always does in tragedies. We ask the public to pray for the family of the lost officer and the colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us.
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