- Ian Cramer, 43, has pleaded not guilty to homicide in the death of Officer Paul Martin
- U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer’s son is being held in McLean County Jail
The 43-year-old son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer has pleaded not guilty to homicide after being accused of being involved in a car crash that left a sheriff’s deputy dead.
Ian Cramer appeared today at the McLean County Courthouse and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.
The accused faces nine charges, including homicide while fleeing a peace officer, evading arrest, reckless endangerment and fleeing an officer, plus three misdemeanor drug charges and other minor offenses of driving under suspension and possession of marijuana.
Officer Paul Martin, 53, died while trying to stop the car chase allegedly led by Cramer. Martin was launched 100 feet in the air and was later pronounced dead.
According to Bismarck police, Cramer was driven by his mother, Kris, to the hospital around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 due to concerns about his mental health.
Ian Cramer appeared today at the McLean County Courthouse and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.
Cramer was arrested after being involved in a police car chase that resulted in the death of Officer Paul Martin (pictured)
When she got out of the SUV, the accused got behind the wheel and went through a door to exit the enclosed ambulance bay of the hospital’s emergency department.
The son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (pictured) is being held at the McLean County Jail in Washburn with a jury trial scheduled for July.
Cramer reached speeds in excess of 100 mph and continued even after a spike device punctured two tires, according to court documents.
More than an hour later, a deputy from neighboring Mercer County spotted Cramer and the Chevrolet Tahoe in Hazen, a community about 70 miles northwest of Bismarck.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a news release that a chase began and the SUV crashed into the Mercer County sheriff’s vehicle that was parked along a state highway.
A deputy, later identified as Officer Paul Martin, stood behind the parked vehicle and prepared to deploy a tire deflation device to end the pursuit.
The impact of the crash pushed the parked vehicle toward the 53-year-old deputy, resulting in his death.
He was evaluated at the hospital and then taken into custody. Cramer was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but was later upgraded to homicide. Ian Cramer is pictured on the far right and his senator father is pictured on the far left, top row.
He was charged with nine counts, including homicide while fleeing a peace officer, hindering arrest, reckless endangerment and fleeing an officer, as well as three misdemeanor drug charges and other minor offenses of driving under suspension and possession of marijuana.
According to Bismarck police, Cramer was driven by his mother, Kris, to the hospital around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 due to concerns about his mental health. Ian Cramer is pictured second from right, top row
When she got out of the SUV, Cramer got behind the wheel and went through a door to exit the closed ambulance bay of the hospital’s emergency department.
The accused was evaluated at a hospital and then incarcerated. He was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the case was later reclassified as homicide.
The first-term Republican senator wrote at the time that his son “suffers from serious mental illness that manifests itself in paranoia and severe hallucinations.”
“We ask the public to pray for the missing officer’s family and colleagues who serve us every day and we are grateful for all they do for us,” Kevin Cramer said in a statement.
Last month, Cramer pleaded not guilty to separate charges of theft, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment in connection with the events at the hospital.
He is currently being held at the McLean County Jail in Washburn on $500,000 cash bail. A jury trial is scheduled for June.
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