Sen. Kevin Cramer’s son’s charges changed from manslaughter to murder by North Dakota judge

A North Dakota judge approved a change to Ian Cramer’s, son of Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), charges on Thursday, upgrading his most serious charge from felony manslaughter to negligent homicide.

The 42-year-old was originally charged with manslaughter last week after he was allegedly involved in a crash that resulted in the death of 53-year-old North Dakota deputy Paul Martin following a police pursuit on Dec. 6.

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The new charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a possible $20,000 fine. The judge also approved new drug charges, including possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Authorities claimed they found several grams of meth, cocaine, and marijuana in a backpack, along with rolled-up dollar bills, baggies, smoking devices, and lighters.

Ian Cramer still faces counts of fleeing a police officer, preventing arrest, and reckless endangerment. He faces a total of nine charges, including four felonies. The senator’s son, who has a history of mental illness, also needs to complete a court-ordered mental health evaluation.

Ian Cramer’s arrest stems from an incident last week, where he was allegedly involved in a high-speed chase. Cramer was reportedly driven to a hospital by his mother over concerns about his mental health when he claimed he wanted to see his brother Ike, who died in 2018. When the senator’s wife, Kris, got out of her vehicle at the hospital, Ian Cramer allegedly got into the driver’s seat and drove through a door to get out of the enclosed ambulance bay at the hospital’s emergency department, according to Bismarck police.

The younger Cramer allegedly hit speeds of 100 mph during the chase and kept driving even after an officer from Beulah used a spiked device to flatten two of the vehicle’s tires, authorities said. About 5 miles outside of Hazen, North Dakota, Ian Cramer swerved after the Beulah police chief and Martin laid out more tire deflation devices and crashed into Martin’s squad car, launching him about 100 feet, according to charging documents obtained by the Associated Press.

Ian Cramer was taken to a hospital after the crash but then released and jailed. He appeared in court on Dec. 8, where the judge set a $500,000 bail, and will appear in court again on Monday.

The senator has not released any additional comments since the judge approved the new charges but confirmed the incident last week.

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“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,” the senator said at the time. “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. We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply.”

The Washington Examiner has reached out to the state attorney’s office and the senator for comment.