Infiltrator Michael Duarte shot dead by police in Texas: report

A deputy with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office in Texas was the fatal shooting of California-based foodie Michael Duarte last week, a police spokesman confirmed to TMZ.

Duarte, who gained a following on social media as “FoodWithBearHands,” died Nov. 8 after deputies responded to a disturbance call in Castorville, Texas, the outlet reported Wednesday. Law enforcement reported a “male subject acting erratically with a knife.” The spokesperson alleges that Duarte threatened and approached the respondent deputy, and did not follow multiple “verbal orders” to obtain the land.

“Duarte charged toward the deputy while yelling, ‘I’m going to kill you,'” the spokesperson told TMZ. The deputy fired two shots from her “duty weapon” and struck Duarte, the spokesman added. According to reports, he was treated at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. He was 39 years old.

No representatives for the Medina County Sheriff’s Office or Duarte immediately responded to requests for confirmation Wednesday.

Barbecue pellet company Bear Mountain BBQ announced Duarte’s death in a joint statement shared on its Instagram page on Tuesday. A GoFundMe fundraiser set up to benefit his family confirms that Duarte “died in a tragic accident on Saturday” while he was traveling in Texas, three days after he and his wife celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary.

“The world may know him as ‘FoodwithBearHands,’ but to us, he was a loving husband, father, brother, and a great friend to many,” the fundraiser’s description read. “We ask that you lift up Michael’s family in prayer during this very difficult time, especially for his 6-year-old daughter, Oakley, and his wife, Jessica.”

The GoFundMe is trying to raise $100,000 to help Duarte’s family cover funeral expenses and “bring him back home to California.” Donors had raised more than $65,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Duarte, who grew up in the desert town of Calipatria, began his professional culinary career working in several San Diego restaurants, he said in October. He started posting videos on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a “mental health crisis that led me to rehab,” Duarte continued to post cooking videos during his time off, including his first video featuring his daughter.

“That’s when I realized how much I loved creating content,” he wrote. “Over time, I saw that it wasn’t just a hobby – it could be a business, something bigger than myself.”

Over the years, he has shared recipes for alligator, iguana, frog legs, smoked duck, and many other dishes. His YouTube channel has more than 260,000 followers and his Instagram page has more than 845,000 followers.

“He had a rare gift for capturing the true spirit of BBQ: smoke, stories, laughter and a love of good food that brings people together,” Bear Mountain BBQ continued in its statement.

The statement added: “But beyond work, Michael was so much more. A proud father who talked about his daughter all the time. A devoted husband whose love for his family was the center of everything. A good man with a generous heart, his warmth and kindness to everyone he met.