Senator's Son Charged Following Police Chase That Left Officer Dead

The son of North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer is facing numerous charges, including manslaughter, following a police chase that left an officer dead.

Cramer said that his 42-year-old son, Ian, "suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations."

On Thursday, he told his mother, Kris, that he wanted to go see his brother Ike, who died in 2018. His mother brought him to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck.

When they arrived, Ian jumped behind the wheel and sped away, damaging the ambulance bay door.

Kris called 911, and officers used her cellphone, which was still in the car, to locate Ian. During the pursuit, Mercer County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Martin, 53, was setting up a tire deflation device when Ian slammed head-first into his unoccupied patrol car. The force of the crash pushed Martin's car into him, killing him instantly.

Ian was taken into custody and transported to the hospital following the crash. After being released from the hospital, he was taken to a detention center and charged with felony counts of manslaughter, fleeing a police officer, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended license.

"I will take the first flight I can to be with our family as we grieve what has happened. 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 officer's family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us," Cramer said in a statement.

"We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply."