Authorities say a deputy constable shot a man after a maintenance worker was stabbed at an east valley apartment.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Las Vegas police released new details after a deputy constable serving an eviction shot a man armed with a machete on Tuesday morning, Jan. 6, at an apartment complex near South Sandhill Road and East Sunset Road. The maintenance worker who helped access the unit was stabbed and rushed to a hospital, and the suspect and the constable were also hospitalized, police said.
Police described the confrontation as the second officer-involved shooting of 2026 within the department’s jurisdiction. The Office of the Ex-Officio Constable, which handles civil process service in Las Vegas Township, was conducting the eviction when the encounter turned violent. Detectives say the suspect attacked both the maintenance worker and the constable, prompting the constable to fire. Clark County’s top prosecutor later said the shooting appears justified based on the initial report. The investigation remains active as officials gather statements, review reports and determine whether additional charges or policy findings are warranted.
According to an initial timeline released by police, the deputy constable arrived around 9:05 a.m. to serve the eviction at a second-floor unit. Unable to get through the front door, the constable contacted an on-site maintenance worker for help. The worker used a ladder to reach the balcony and entered the apartment. Investigators say the tenant confronted him with a large knife and stabbed him in the neck. Hearing the worker’s calls for help, the constable climbed to the balcony and was also attacked. The constable fired a single round that struck the suspect in the face. “The suspect posed an immediate threat,” an LVMPD captain said in a recorded statement summarizing the department’s early findings.
Authorities on Thursday identified those involved as Sergeant Deputy Constable Mark Ruesch, 63; maintenance worker Orlando Sosa; and the tenant, Victor Vondrasek, 46. Police reports say the blade lodged between Ruesch’s uniform shirt and undershirt during the struggle on the balcony. Investigators say Vondrasek then kicked Ruesch and swung a bag filled with landscaping rocks at him. Officers arrived to the sound of yelling inside the unit. The door was barricaded, and the constable moved objects to let officers in. All three men were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Officials said the constable had non-life-threatening injuries. Sosa required multiple surgeries, according to police and court information. Vondrasek remained hospitalized late in the week.
In comments Thursday, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the shooting “appears to be justified,” citing the account that the machete was still within the suspect’s reach when the shot was fired and that the constable faced a continuing threat. Police said no body camera footage captured the moments leading up to the shooting because constables in Las Vegas Township do not wear body cameras. Investigators released limited footage from the aftermath showing the machete lodged in the constable’s clothing, along with photos and diagrams included in arrest documents. Officials have not released the exact make of the weapon or the number of officers who entered after the shot was fired.
The apartment complex sits in a dense east valley neighborhood of two- and three-story buildings near commercial corridors along South Sandhill Road. Police said the Office of the Ex-Officio Constable is managed and operated under the Metropolitan Police Department’s direction, and the incident counts toward Metro’s tally of officer-involved shootings. It occurred hours after a separate, unrelated deadly police shooting elsewhere in the valley, which is why commanders briefed both incidents this week. LVMPD’s Force Investigation Team is handling the criminal review while administrative units examine tactics, training and policy. The department typically releases an officer’s identity 48 hours after a shooting, a timeline commanders said they would follow here.
Vondrasek was booked in absentia on suspicion of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon, resisting a public officer and related counts. A judge ordered him held without bail while hospitalized, with a return hearing set for Monday, Jan. 12. Prosecutors said charging decisions could be amended as medical records and additional interviews are reviewed. Ruesch, an independent contractor with the constable’s office since 2017, will not receive new assignments while the investigation proceeds. Metro said the case file will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office for standard use-of-force review once detectives complete interviews and collect physical evidence.
Residents near the complex described a heavy police presence late Tuesday morning and early afternoon as crime scene tape went up around a building cluster. One neighbor said she heard a single gunshot and then saw officers carrying medical gear toward a stairwell. A property manager told local reporters the injured worker was in stable condition at the hospital. “It was frightening to see so many patrol cars all at once,” a passerby said, adding that traffic was diverted around the complex driveway while detectives photographed the balcony area and collected items from the courtyard.
As of Sunday evening, police said the investigation remains in its early stages. Detectives are awaiting full medical updates for the worker and the suspect and expect to present preliminary findings to prosecutors after Monday’s hearing. Officials plan additional briefings once the case advances to the standard review phase and any body-worn or evidence video suitable for release is compiled.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.