Sen. Kevin Cramer's (R-N.D.) 42-year-old son was involved in a police chase Wednesday night that resulted in an accident and the death of a police officer, the senator and police said in separate statements.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a press release that the Bismarck Police Department received a report Wednesday night that a stolen vehicle was being driven by Ian Cramer, the 42-year-old son of Cramer.
When police first located him, Ian Cramer, who the senator in a statement said has suffered from mental health issues, allegedly fled in the vehicle while officers pursued him.
The vehicle Cramer was driving “veered and crashed head-on” into a Mercer County Sherriff’s Office patrol vehicle that was parked and flashing its emergency lights, the highway patrol said.
The Mercer County Sherriff’s deputy was standing behind the patrol vehicle, which pushed into the deputy and killed him after it was struck.
The deputy, who was not identified, was outside his patrol car to deploy a tire deflation device to end the pursuit, the highway patrol said.
“I will take the first flight I can to be with our family as we grieve what has happened,” Sen. Cramer said in a statement. “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.”
Sen. Cramer said his son, “suffers from serious mental disorders” that manifest in paranoia and hallucinations.
The senator said his wife, Kris, had taken his son to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck on Wednesday night after Ian Cramer insisted on seeing his brother Ike, who died in 2018.
The senator said that when his wife stepped out of the vehicle, Ian Cramer hopped into the driver’s seat and fled. His daughter tracked where he was going through his wife’s cell phone, which led officers to locate him in Mercer County.
“We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply,” the senator said in the statement.
Ian Cramer was taken into custody and brought to a local hospital. He was then taken to a detention center in Stanton, North Dakota.
North Dakota Highway Patrol said that the crash is under investigation and that charges are pending.
