
Henry Lee
I've actually been chasing sirens ever since I was about 7 years old, when my best friend and I would pedal furiously on our BMX trick bikes after the cop cars and ambulances that careened through our neighborhood in Irvine, Orange County.
Fast forward to high school, when we split $60 for a police scanner that we picked up at Radio Shack. We would respond to crime scenes all over the place in our cars, sometimes getting into trouble because the officers would think WE were the suspects.
Growing up the only son of Chinese immigrant parents, I was pressured to go into medical school or study law. My dad was an electrical engineer, and my mother was a medical technologist. I certainly understood why they wanted me to be successful and I did not take their concerns lightly.
But I rebelled once I got to Cal, where I saw a Daily Cal table on Sproul Plaza and decided that chasing the cops (back on my trick bike) was infinitely more interesting than doing my organic chemistry or physics homework.
I quickly gained a reputation for arriving at crime scenes before the officers who were assigned to those calls. I befriended officers on my beats, recognizing their voices on the radio and even helped to catch a few bad guys while chatting with cops who had set up a perimeter to search for them.
But what to do academically? I went ahead with the pre-med track, studied hard and got A's and B's on all my science classes, but I ended up majoring in psychology.
I told my parents that it's half "-ology" to make it seem more palatable. In reality, I knew that studying how to get into people's heads would serve me well as a reporter.
But my parents still gave me guff and insisted that I should be doing something more in life. So I grabbed a Daily Cal grad who was interning at the Los Angeles Times that summer, and he was nice enough to tell my parents that, yes, Henry, enjoys being a journalist and has what it takes to go far.
I was actually taking an MCAT prep course at Cal when I got a letter from the Chronicle congratulating me that I had been selected as a summer intern in 1994.
I take pride in that I always encourage students I meet at the Daily Cal and other mentoring sessions to do what you want to do.
If you want to pursue a career in science because that's what excites you, by all means, pursue that. If it's something else, chase your dreams. I am lucky to have the full support of my parents as well as my wife and our two kids.
I've enjoyed every moment covering crime, even when sometimes you deal with unsavory characters and see people at their worst. I know my calling is to tell those stories, to speak on behalf of those who can't, to keep those in power honest and to provide a voice for everyone, no matter what their opinions may be.
In my line of work, I have no idea what I will be covering, sometimes from one hour to the next. And it's always thrilling. I've flown with the Blue Angels. I've gone undercover. There was the time I ended up chasing a murder suspect named Hans Reiser in downtown Oakland because the computer entrepreneur was acting suspiciously wouldn't answer questions about his missing wife.
That "foot chase" was caught on camera and was shown on a TV news broadcast - and ended up being an exhibit in a trial that I live-blogged, which helped me write a book on the case, "Presumed Dead: A True-Life Murder Mystery."
More recently, I was the recipient of a mysterious "proof of life" audio file and e-mails purportedly from the kidnappers of a Vallejo couple in what has been called the "Gone Girl" case.
My crime coverage even inspired a Berkeley musician couple to write and perform a folk song about me and put it on YouTube.
As a former print reporter, I’m excited to be able to continue reporting the news on KTVU Fox 2. And please send any tips my way: Henry.Lee@foxtv.com and follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
The latest from Henry Lee
Woman devastated after puppy stolen from car in San Francisco
"My fiance was actually going up to San Francisco on Monday and he was picking up my ring that was being reset and brought Scruggs with him," Tran said.
Latest coyote-bite victim speaks out, chalks it up to 'life experience'
John Stevenson says he was taking a break from skateboarding in Lafayette when a coyote came out of nowhere and bit him in the thigh. He shot video after the attack showing the animal calming trotting away afterward.
Round-the-clock effort to catch coyote after 5th East Bay attack
Contra Costa Animal Services said the latest incident happened on Friday near a Quik Stop in Lafayette.
Man shot in face by Berkeley police speaks out
A man who was injured in a Berkeley police shooting spoke out Tuesday, saying he didn't deserve to be shot in the face.
FBI agent's Glock and badge stolen in Lafayette car burglary
The agency confirmed that the agent's .40-caliber Glock 22 pistol, badge and credentials were taken during the break-in.
Body-cam videos released in death in Pleasanton police custody
Rose Bauer is heartbroken over her son's death. She still has not viewed the videos that were released by an attorney for the family.
Oakland cops reluctant to arrest store owner who opened fire to stop robbery
On Monday, the store owner saw a woman being confronted by men who wanted her camera near 9th and Franklin. The men also hit her with their car.
Vallejo store owner in critical condition after being shot in robbery
A Vallejo store owner is in critical condition after being shot during a robbery.
Gilroy woman charged in Capitol riot
An FBI affidavit said Mariposa Castro was quickly identified with the help of her social media, including her Facebook page as well the Instagram account for her business, the Yoga Studio and Tea Lounge in Gilroy.
Burglars strike in South Bay, steal jewelry when no one is home
An investigation is underway in the South Bay after a frightening series of home break-ins in which burglars have made off with jewelry after targeting homes of residents who are away.