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U.S. senator’s son sentenced to 28 years in prison for police chase that killed police officer

Ian Cramer, the 43-year-old son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), was sentenced to 28 years in prison for a high-speed chase that killed a law enforcement officer.

Ian Cramer, the 43-year-old son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), was sentenced to 28 years in prison for a high-speed chase that killed a law enforcement officer.

Last September, Ian Cramer plead guilty to several felony charges including homicide while fleeing a peace officer, driving under the influence and possession of both cocaine and methamphetamine. These charges stemmed from an arrest on Dec. 6, 2023, when Ian Cramer’s mother Kris reportedly attempted to bring him to a hospital for mental health care. When Kris exited the vehicle, Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and fled, which prompted the police pursuit.

AP News reported that Ian Cramer was traveling at over 100 mph with two flat tires when he crashed head-on into a squad car driven by 53-year-old Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Martin, who was killed.

In a statement released the day of the incident, Sen. Cramer revealed that his son suffers from “serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations.” Sen. Cramer did not immediately respond to a Heartland Signal request to comment on his son’s sentencing.

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Sen. Cramer has served as North Dakota’s junior senator since 2019 and won a second term by 33 percentage points in 2024. Cramer has also represented North Dakota’s at-large House district and chaired the state’s Republican Party.

During his time in Washington, Sen. Cramer has opposed same-sex marriage, gun control and expanding health care.

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Rich Eberwein is a multimedia journalist for Heartland Signal. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois before joining Heartland Signal in 2022. In addition to politics, Rich writes about baseball and entertainment for Fansided. Read Richard’s reporting