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Palo Alto cop chosen to coach US Olympic badminton team

A Palo Alto police officer was selected to represent the United States in an emerging sport -- badminton.

Officials announced Friday that Ben Lee, a Palo Alto police officer, will be the United States badminton coach for the London Olympics.

About 200 athletes train at the California Badminton Academy in Fremont, and its reputation was enhanced after the announcement was made.

"When I got the notice that I got it, I was beyond excited," Lee said.

He told KTVU that now he's thinking about how to prepare.

Lee was captain of the 1992 United States team in Barcelona when badminton became a medal sport in the Olympics.

He also coached the American women's team at the 2011 Pan American games.

Academy CEO Rose Lei, a champion from China, said Lee is ready.

"He (is) coaching at a very, very high level for the world top-level athletes, for the World Championships," she said. "This year, he went to London for the All-England Championship, leading the American players."

Riju Rai, a fellow California Badminton Academy coach and former Olympian, agreed.

"He's gone through it as a player, so when it comes to coaching he understands what the players go through, what they need to prepare," Rai said.

Lee expects to field a very competitive team.

"The badminton pool is getting bigger, getting better," Lee said. "There are now so many dedicated badminton clubs within the Bay Area, so it's nice to see the sport grow."

Lee said he'll still be able to be a police officer and a coach until just before the London Olympics in early July.

_{Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:06:37 -0800}

15-year-old girl fatally stabbed in San Leandro

Police in San Leandro are investigating the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl Friday night.

Officers responded to the 1900 block of Pacific Avenue at around 6:20 p.m. and found the girl suffering from multiple stab wounds to her torso, police said.

Police said a responding officer and paramedics performed life-saving measures but they were unsuccessful and the teen succumbed to her injuries.

No arrests have been made and no suspect information was immediately available.

This was the city's first homicide of the year.

_{Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:00:24 -0800}

Two men plead no contest in officer shooting case

Two associates of a Union City gang member who's been sentenced to life in state prison for shooting and nearly killing a Fremont police officer in Oakland in 2010 pleaded no contest this week to being accessories in the case.

Andrew Barrientos, a 21-year-old Union City man, was sentenced last month for shooting Fremont police Officer Todd Young in East Oakland on Aug. 27, 2010.

Barrientos, a member of the Decoto Nortenos gang, was convicted of the attempted murder of a police officer and nine other felony counts plus enhancement clauses that he was acting to benefit a gang and was involved in street terrorism.

The shooting occurred when Young and Officer Eric Tang, who are members of the Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force, attempted to arrest Barrientos on an outstanding warrant.

Young spent more than seven weeks at Highland Hospital in Oakland and still hasn't returned to work but said last month that he hopes to come back to his job later this year.

Francisco Sierra, a 32-year-old Union City man who met up with Barrientos shortly after the shooting and drove him from Hayward to Union City, pleaded no contest on Monday to being an accessory and will be sentenced on March 9, prosecutor John Brouhard said.

Sierra will be placed on probation and given credit for the time he's already spent in the county jail, Brouhard said.

Gustavo Silva, a 25-year-old Union City man who drove with Barrientos to Southern California near the Mexican border, where they were arrested, pleaded no contest on Tuesday to being an accessory and will be sentenced on March 30.

Silva will be given a three-year state prison term but he will be released on March 30 because he will have accumulated enough time in jail, plus credits, to complete his sentence, Brouhard said.

_{Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:45:49 -0800}

News Source: MedleyStory More Local News Stories