Gunman had a heart attack in a ‘restraint’

The Clark County coroner’s office said Friday that a man who died during an attempted North Las Vegas home invasion in December suffered a heart attack during a “civilian restraint.”

Robert Austin, 55, one of two people suspected in the Dec. 4 home invasion, died from “cardiopulmonary arrest during civilian restraint,” and his death was ruled a homicide, the coroner’s office said.

North Las Vegas Police Department spokesman Eric Leavitt said Friday that detectives consider Austin’s killing self-defense.

About 9 a.m. Dec. 4, officers were called to an apartment on the 1200 block of West Alexander Road, east of Martin Luther King Boulevard, after a fight between two men was reported. The officers found Austin outside the apartment not breathing, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives believe a husband and wife were inside their apartment when the woman went to answer a knock at the door. When she opened the door, a man with a gun “pushed his way into the apartment,” police said.

Police said the gunman, later identified as Austin, pulled the husband outside where the two men continued to struggle.

A nearby good Samaritan jumped in to help, and a second suspect appeared and shot at the trio before fleeing in a silver 2007 to 2009 Lexus sedan, Leavitt has said.

The resident and good Samaritan suffered minor injuries and weren’t hospitalized.

As of Friday, police have not identified the shooter who was with Austin, Leavitt said.

Anyone with information about the attempted break-in or second suspect can contact North Las Vegas police at 702-633-9111, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.