My 42 year old son is US Senator Kevin Cramer A North Dakota sheriff’s deputy was charged Thursday with manslaughter after a police chase ended in an accident and killed a North Dakota sheriff’s deputy who had placed a tire deflation device on the road and hid behind his patrol car, according to court documents. He was charged with fleeing.
Ian Kramer, of Bismarck, was traveling more than 100 mph when he crashed head-on into Deputy Paul Martin’s patrol car Wednesday, and it already had two flat tires, “directly impacting Martin’s body,” he said. He was thrown approximately 100 feet. Claim documents. Martin, 53, died in the accident.
Ian Kramer is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday on multiple felonies, including manslaughter, fleeing a police officer and reckless endangerment. Court records do not list an attorney for Martin, and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer declined to meet with Martin after the indictment out of concern for his family.
Earlier Thursday, Kramer issued a statement saying, “We ask the public to pray for the families of our missing officers and for our colleagues who serve us every day, and for what they have done for us.” I am grateful for everything you have given me.”
Ian Kramer was driven to the hospital by his mother around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday due to concerns about his mental health, Bismarck police said. When he got out of his SUV, Kramer grabbed the steering wheel and crashed through his door to escape from the sealed ambulance bay in the hospital’s emergency department.
More than an hour later, Mercer County deputies found Kramer and his Chevrolet Tahoe in the Hazen area, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of Bismarck. A pursuit then began, the North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a news release.
Initial efforts to stop Kramer were unsuccessful. A Beulah police officer used a tire deflation device, which caused two of Kramer’s tires to go flat, but Kramer continued to drive on the highway, charging documents say. Beulah Police Chief Frank Senn and Martin also deployed a deflation device and hid behind a car. Kramer swerved and hit Martin’s car.
Mr. Kramer was then taken into custody. He was examined at a hospital and subsequently jailed.
His father, a first-term Republican senator, wrote that his son “suffers from a severe mental disorder that manifests in severe paranoia and hallucinations.” Earlier Wednesday, Ian Kramer claimed he was “going to my brother Ike,” who died in 2018, according to a statement, without further explanation of what that meant.
Concerned, Chris Kramer took his son to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck. Bismarck Police said in a statement: “While the vehicle was parked at an ambulance bay, Ian allegedly got into her driver’s seat, rammed the door of the ambulance bay, and fled the scene.”
The senator’s daughter tracked the SUV using her cell phone and alerted authorities. Mercer County deputies spotted Ian Kramer in Hazen and when they approached him, Kramer fled, according to the patrol. The accident occurred a short time later on North Dakota Highway 200, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) outside of Hazen.
Martin is an 18-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and is married with three children.
Mercer County Sheriff Terry Turns said in a post on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page that Martin was “a beloved brother, husband, father and grandfather to all of us in law enforcement. Our wounds are raw and our hearts are broken.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ordered government agencies to fly flags at half-staff in Martin’s honor until sunset on the day he is buried. He encouraged residents to do the same.
At the Bismarck hospital, an emergency department vehicle and the front door of the ambulance garage were damaged, according to Sanford Health Bismarck. The entrance is temporarily closed and a temporary entrance has been set up. According to the hospital, no one was injured.
Whitney Ziedow, 36, who lives near Hazen, said Martin was once her neighbor. She sometimes took care of his retired police dog while he was away from home.
“He was such a wonderful man,” Zeddo said, fighting back tears. “He was the type of person who would be your champion. He was just there to support the community and help the kids, no matter how little. He was just fun to be around.”
Kevin Cramer was elected to the Senate in 2018 after serving three terms in the House of Representatives. He is also a passionate advocate for law enforcement.
in Opinion article posted on Fox News Websites in turmoil after 2020 murders george floyd In Minneapolis, Mr. Kramer defended police.
“Although imperfect, police officers remain heroes,” he wrote. “They wake up every day and are ready to put their lives on the line to keep their friends and neighbors safe.”
In a statement Wednesday, Kramer said, referring to Martin, that the family grieves for “the family of the hero who tried to save Ian.”
In 2013, Ian Kramer was charged with misdemeanor assault for injuring his brother in the head. he pleaded guilty. His record includes several traffic citations for driving under suspension this year and last, some from the day before the accident. Bismarck Police Lt. Luke Gardiner said Tuesday’s summons had nothing to do with Wednesday’s events.
The Kramer family has been hit by tragedy before.
Isaac “Ike” Kramer began dating the woman who is the mother of infant Abel in 2007. Three years later, the woman was murdered by her estranged husband. Kevin and Chris Kramer adopted the child, who is now a teenager. Cramer also has two daughters and six grandchildren, according to his Senate website.
In 2018, shortly after Kevin Cramer announced his Senate run, Ike Cramer died of liver and kidney failure after a long battle with alcoholism. He was 35 years old.
Kevin Kramer wrote on Facebook at the time that he and his wife were at his bedside, writing, “Isaac passed away on Earth. Today, Isaac has no anxiety or urges to drink, no pain, and will never be depressed again.” ” he wrote.
After Martin’s death, some people posting on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook page claimed that the sheriff had taken them to jail. They described him as a friendly person and said he was always respectful.
Zeddo said Martin was one of the officers who responded when help was needed.
“And he kept my kids and me very safe,” she said, adding, “It doesn’t seem real yet, but it’s becoming reality.”
