Food influencer Michael Duarte, known to his millions of followers as “FoodWithBearHands,” died on Saturday after he was shot by police, a spokesperson for the Medina County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ. An official cause of death has not been made public.
Newsweek reached out to the Medina County Sheriff’s Office via email for comment on Thursday.
The Context
Duarte was an influential figure in the online food community and boasted over 2.1 million followers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. His sudden and tragic death during a law enforcement encounter in Texas attracted widespread attention from both the culinary world and the broader public.
What To Know
Duarte died on November 8 after being shot by a deputy from the Medina County Sheriff’s Office in Castroville, Texas. Law enforcement was responding to a disturbance involving a “male subject with a knife acting erratically,” according to police, per TMZ. A sheriff’s office spokesperson told the outlet that Duarte approached the deputy, refused “numerous verbal commands” to get on the ground and charged toward her while yelling threats. The deputy then fired two rounds, striking Duarte. Medical aid was administered at the scene before Duarte was transferred to a local hospital, where he died.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.