Michael Duarte was 36 when he was shot and killed by a Medina County sheriff’s deputy on Nov. 8.
MEDINA COUNTY, Texas — The Bexar County medical examiner ruled the death of Michael Duarte, an online influencer shot by law enforcement in a neighborhood county last month, a homicide.
The popular 36-year-old food and barbecue content creator known online as “FoodWithBearHands” died after being shot by a Medina County Sheriff’s deputy on Nov. 8. Deputies responded to a call in the 1500 block of Houston Street in Castroville for man acting erratically with a knife, officials at the time said.
They say he was threatening and charging at deputies.
According to a press release, a Medina County deputy encountered a man later identified as Duarte “making threats to kill everyone.” He reportedly attempted to assault Fire and EMS personnel who had responded to the scene as the deputy arrived. The release says he was given multiple verbal commands to get on the ground, but Duarte charged toward the deputy while yelling, “I’m going to kill you.”
The deputy then fired two rounds at Duarte, hitting him. He was taken to University Hospital in San Antonio where he was pronounced dead, according to Medina County officials.
Texas Rangers are leading the ongoing investigation and said there were no updates on the case as of Wednesday evening.
Family members posted a notice to Duarte’s followers on Instagram saying his death took place while traveling in Texas. In a separate Instagram post, it revealed he was in town for a barbecue festival in Hondo.
The California-based content creator had amassed more than 2 million combined followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, where he shared cooking videos and recipes focused on grilled meats and barbecue.
Duarte’s death occurred just three days after he and his wife, Jessica, celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary, according to a fundraising campaign established by a family friend. He is survived by his wife and 6-year-old daughter, Oakley.
Alooma Media Group described Duarte as “a devoted husband to his wife Jessica, a loving father to his daughter, brother and a loyal friend to so many around the world.”
“His warmth, kindness, and generosity were felt in every interaction, and he had a way of making everyone around him feel valued and inspired,” the agency said. “Michael’s passing is a tremendous loss to all who knew him.”