Mercer County (North Dakota) Sheriff's Deputy Paul Martin previously served as a K-9 handler. He was killed Wednesday in a pursuit crash while trying to deploy spikes.Mercer County SO
A Mercer County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s deputy was killed Wednesday trying to end a vehicle pursuit involving the son of a U.S. Senator.
Deputy Paul Martin was standing behind his patrol vehicle on Highway 200 when Ian Cramer, son of Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, crashed into it head on after leading local law enforcement on a pursuit, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
According to Sen. Kevin Cramer, while his wife and son were at a Bismarck emergency room, she stepped out of their vehicle and “Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and fled.”
Ian Cramer, 42, “suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations,” the senator said in a statement Wednesday.
The Mercer County State's Attorney's Office filed charges Thursday, including manslaughter, against Ian Cramer. The manslaughter charge carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, Inforum reports. If he is convicted of all charges related to the incident, Cramer could get 25 years.
Deputy Martin, 53, was killed as he was preparing to deploy a tire deflation device in an attempt to end the pursuit, the Highway Patrol said.
Martin served with the Mercer County Sheriff's Office for 18 years, according to the Highway Patrol. He is survived by his wife and three children.
