Michael Duarte, The Food Influencer Shot By Cops — Inside His Mental Health Crisis Before The Incident

The food influencer world was left reeling when Michael Duarte, the charismatic creator behind FoodWithBearHands, was shot dead by police on 8 November 2025 in Castroville, Texas.

Famous for his barbecue recipes and viral videos that drew over two million followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, his sudden death amid a mental health crisis has sparked grief, reflection and calls for reform.

Here's a look back at the man behind the grill and the pressures that haunted his rise.

From Border Town to Barbecue Icon

Calipatria, California, shaped Michael Duarte's resilient spirit in a tight-knit border community. Raised by a single mother who lost her fight with breast cancer when he was 21, he turned to cooking at 14 in his uncle's modest Mexican restaurant, absorbing flavours that would become his signature. Those early lessons carried him to San Diego's competitive kitchens, where he refined barbecue recipes that fused tradition and innovation.

The pandemic unlocked his digital destiny: a casual video with his daughter sparked the start of FoodWithBearHands, transforming a side hustle into a full-time passion. 'My first one was with my daughter. That's when I realised how happy creating content made me,' he recalled.

His ethos shone in his bio: 'my purpose is to share to the world food to people who need it the most.' As success grew, so did the isolation of constant performance.

Pandemic Shadows: Mental Health Unravels

Lockdowns exposed cracks in Duarte's armour, culminating in a mental health crisis that sent him to rehab. He shared candidly online: 'After a mental health crisis that led me to rehab,' he wrote, resuming his viral videos with hard-won clarity. Such candour exposed the raw underbelly of influencer life, where curated feeds often mask inner turmoil.

On X, @Daily_MailUS posted the news: 'Food influencer Michael Duarte was fatally shot by police responding to a 911 call about a "male subject with a knife acting erratically."' The incident ignited urgent conversations around creator well-being.

Crisis Erupts: The Deadly Texas Clash

A family outing spiralled on 8 November 2025 in Castroville, Texas, when a 911 call reported a knife-wielding man behaving erratically—Duarte, in visible distress. Deputies confronted him and fired two rounds. He later died in hospital.

The shooting, initially described as a 'horrible accident' by his agency, traced back to untreated mental health struggles. A fundraiser launched by his wife Jessica captured the sorrow: 'This heartbreak came without warning, leaving Jessica to incur the expense of bringing him back home.'

Duarte's legacy lives on in recipes that fans now recreate at home, from smoky ribs to brisket slow-cooks, shared in heartfelt Instagram Reels and X threads. On 11 November 2025, @Laylahollywood posted: 'Your love for food and people will never be forgotten,' echoing the wave of tributes flooding social media.

Legislation Targets Crisis Response Failures

While not directly linked to Duarte's death, recent policy shifts reflect growing concern over mental health crises and law enforcement response. Texas Senate Bill 1164, enacted 1 September 2025, lowers thresholds for detaining those in mental health peril, aiming to enable earlier intervention and prevent escalation.

In parallel, the First Responder Mental Health Programme for fiscal year 2025 allocates grants for trauma services and specialised training to enhance officer resilience in crisis responses. Federally, H.R. 2502—the Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act, introduced 31 March 2025—authorises funding for curricula designed to help officers recognise and respond to psychological distress in volatile scenarios.