South Tahoe PUD board member faces felony charge

By Kathryn Reed

South Tahoe Public Utility District board member Dale Rise faces up to three years in state prison if he is found guilty of resisting an officer.

The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office has filed the felony charge against the elected official. Rise was arrested at his home in late September. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 22 in El Dorado County Superior Court.

Dale Rise

“It’s a felony because of the extent of the resistance to the officer,” said Hans Uthe, assistant district attorney. “He tried to use the Taser on one of the officers.”

Rise, on Thursday, said, “I am not going to make a statement.” He deferred comment to his attorney, Lori London. London did not return a phone call.

Officers were called to Rise’s home the morning of Sept. 28 on a domestic call. Rise was allegedly arguing with his adult daughter.

“He wasn’t very cooperative,” South Lake Tahoe police Lt. Marty Hale said just after the arrest. “He tried to shut the door in the officers’ face. He was pretty belligerent and uncooperative.”

Officers said they tried to use the Taser on Rise, but it wasn’t working correctly. Rise then allegedly grabbed the Taser and tried to use it on officers.

According to Uthe, Rise does not have any priors.

South Tahoe PUD spokesman Dennis Cocking said district policy is if Rise is convicted, he would have to resign from the board. For now, he continues to carry out his duties as a board member.

Rise is not the first STPUD board member to have a run-in with the law. One-time board Chairman Pembroke Gochnauer was part of the 2001 FBI sting dubbed Operation Clean Sheets. He resigned shortly after his arrest.