Senator's son sentenced to 28 years in prison for killing North Dakota cop

Ian Cramer, son of North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, was sentenced Monday to 28 years in prison after killing a sheriff's deputy in a wild chase in which he fled a hospital and crashed into the trooper's vehicle.

Last September, Cramer, 43, pleaded guilty to all charges in the indictment for the crash that killed Mercer County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Martin, 53.

Among the charges were manslaughter by fleeing a peace officer, impeding arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer, and drug and driving-related offenses.

According to an AP agency report, state District Judge Bobbi Weiler handed down the sentence of 38 years with 10 years suspended, three years probation and credit for more than a year served in jail.

In his sentencing, the judge stated that Cramer may not serve the 28 years in prison and included a recommendation for addiction and mental health treatment.

"The (state) Department of Corrections has their own policy on how much time you’re going to serve," Weiler said. "These are not mandatory minimums, which means that you’re probably going to serve a small portion of that 28 years and be out on parole, so that’ll ... give you an opportunity to have a second chance that Deputy Martin does not have, nor does his family have."

Cramer, who was sitting next to his public defender, apologized to Martin's family when asked if he wanted to take the floor.

"I had no intention to do any of this. It was an accident, and I just hope that someday they can forgive me, and I think the best thing for me is to go to a hospital and just get more help," Cramer said.

Prior to the sentencing, Senator Kevin Cramer said his son suffers from mental disorders manifesting in severe paranoia and hallucinations, which the courts should have considered.

In earlier remarks, the senator told reporters that his family commends the officers, the court and the prison but that he was a bit "disappointed that mental health is so casually dismissed both by the court and by the prosecutor."

"But I don’t think there’s any question there’s not one person, including Ian, who doesn’t know that they were his choices that led to this, whatever they may be, under whatever condition, choices that go back many years," the senator added.