Popular food influencer Michael Duarte was fatally shot by a Texas sheriff’s deputy over the weekend after authorities say he threatened to “kill everyone” with a knife during a chaotic confrontation.
The 36-year-old chef was shot twice by a Medina County deputy in Castroville around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Officers had responded to a 911 call reporting a “male subject with a knife acting erratically.”
“When officers arrived, Duarte was exhibiting erratic behavior and making threats to kill everyone,” the Medina County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Police added that he was attempting to assault Fire and EMS personnel who had responded to the scene as the deputy arrived.
Authorities said Duarte refused orders to drop the knife and get on the ground, instead allegedly charging at the deputy while yelling, “I’m going to kill you.” The deputy fired two rounds, striking Duarte. He was treated at the scene but later pronounced dead at a San Antonio hospital.
Duarte, who went by the social media handle FoodWithBearHands, built a following of 2 million with his creative barbecue recipes and playful, viral cooking videos. TMZ reported the shooting, and his family confirmed his death on Sunday, describing it as a “horrible accident” while traveling in Texas, just three days after celebrating his ninth wedding anniversary with his wife, Jessica.
He is survived by Jessica and their 6-year-old daughter, Oakley. The exact circumstances that led to the deadly confrontation remain under investigation.
Duarte had been open about past mental health struggles, sharing on social media that he suffered a breakdown during the COVID-19 pandemic and sought psychiatric treatment. “Looking back, I know that breakdown came from feeling like I had failed at life,” he wrote, later turning to cooking videos as a way to recover.
Raised by a single mother in Calipatria, California, Duarte learned to cook from an uncle who owned a Mexican restaurant. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 21.
After his death, his wife Jessica posted on Instagram: “It’s been 24 hours since my world came crashing down. I’m numb, angry, depressed. Words can’t describe this kind of pain. To the world you were FoodWithBearHands but to us you were a loving husband and father. You didn’t deserve this…If everyone can stop and please pray for our family. To my husband I will miss you…until we meet again.”
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What was he on
Since it states he was dealing with mental issues seemingly brought on by the pandemic, I wonder if he had some sort of psychotic “break” and just wasn’t thinking clearly/rationally.