Local Food Influencer's Widow Speaks Out Against False Narratives Following Fatal Police Shooting.
The wife of food influencer Michael Duarte has spoken out against false narratives surrounding his death, in which he was fatally shot by police after allegedly threatening to kill everyone during an altercation. Jessica Duarte shared a heartfelt tribute to her late husband on Instagram, describing him as "a wonderful man" who gave his life force to those around him.
According to the Medina County Sheriff's Office, Duarte was exhibiting erratic behavior and making threats with a knife when officers responded to a 911 call about a male subject acting erratically. Police claimed that Duarte refused commands to drop the knife and allegedly attempted to attack instead, prompting an officer to open fire and shoot him.
Duarte, who commanded a following of 2 million across social media, had been open about his past mental health struggles, telling followers how he suffered a breakdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. He began creating videos after recovering from the breakdown, showcasing his creative barbeque recipes and methods under his "FoodWithBearHands" handle.
Duarte's widow expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love she received from her husband's BBQ community following his death. She stated that despite struggling with grief, Duarte's legacy was a testament to the impact he had on people's lives. Jessica Duarte vowed to carry on her late husband's title as wife and continue his work in honor of their family.
Duarte died just three days after celebrating his ninth wedding anniversary while traveling with his family in Texas. His daughter Oakley, aged 6, was reportedly a bright spot in his life, according to Jessica Duarte.
The widow also emphasized the need for restraint when sharing information about her late husband's death. She urged the media and public to refrain from spreading unverified reports, stating that this was an active investigation.
The wife of food influencer Michael Duarte has spoken out against false narratives surrounding his death, in which he was fatally shot by police after allegedly threatening to kill everyone during an altercation. Jessica Duarte shared a heartfelt tribute to her late husband on Instagram, describing him as "a wonderful man" who gave his life force to those around him.
According to the Medina County Sheriff's Office, Duarte was exhibiting erratic behavior and making threats with a knife when officers responded to a 911 call about a male subject acting erratically. Police claimed that Duarte refused commands to drop the knife and allegedly attempted to attack instead, prompting an officer to open fire and shoot him.
Duarte, who commanded a following of 2 million across social media, had been open about his past mental health struggles, telling followers how he suffered a breakdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. He began creating videos after recovering from the breakdown, showcasing his creative barbeque recipes and methods under his "FoodWithBearHands" handle.
Duarte's widow expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love she received from her husband's BBQ community following his death. She stated that despite struggling with grief, Duarte's legacy was a testament to the impact he had on people's lives. Jessica Duarte vowed to carry on her late husband's title as wife and continue his work in honor of their family.
Duarte died just three days after celebrating his ninth wedding anniversary while traveling with his family in Texas. His daughter Oakley, aged 6, was reportedly a bright spot in his life, according to Jessica Duarte.
The widow also emphasized the need for restraint when sharing information about her late husband's death. She urged the media and public to refrain from spreading unverified reports, stating that this was an active investigation.
idk how much more of these "facts" can be taken seriously lol. like what exactly did michael duarte do? a guy with mental health struggles gets shot by cops and suddenly he's a threat to everyone? 
sounds fishy to me, especially since his wife just said the only thing that matters is carrying on his legacy 
not peddling misinformation about his final hours...can we focus on giving Oakley the love and support she needs instead of scrutinizing her dad's death? 
I'm really sad to hear about Michael Duarte's passing, his wife's tribute on Instagram really hit me 
He seemed like such a wonderful person who loved sharing his passion for food and helping others through his BBQ recipes 
His widow is totally right to ask people to be careful with what they're sharing about this incident, it's still an active investigation and we shouldn't be spreading unverified info 
I think it's great that she's going to carry on her husband's legacy and continue his work, he did seem like a really special person 
. Like, what's up with that? We need more context here before we start jumping to conclusions. I'm not buying into all these 'erratic behavior' and 'threats with a knife' claims without seeing some evidence 
. And 911 calls can be super unreliable... maybe it was just a false alarm? 
His wife is doing a great job of keeping his memory alive and sharing the love he had for BBQ with all of us on social media. 
But can we talk about how quickly things are moving online? I mean, within hours of his death, there were already rumors floating around about what happened. It's so easy to get misinformation out there and it's not fair to Michael's family or to the officers involved in the incident. 
My heart goes out to his wife, Oakley, and his BBQ community - they must be going through such a tough time right now. 
Ugh, can we please just focus on the family without sensationalizing Michael Duarte's tragic death? The media is already feeding into the narrative with all these "allegedly threatening" comments... 
It's just too early to say whether this guy was a threat or not. Can we please just let Jessica Duarte grieve in peace without all these extra drama? 
, and we saw the most gorgeous geysers and hot springs. I swear, it's like Mother Nature is trying to outdo herself 
. Anyway, speaking of natural wonders, have you ever tried making your own BBQ sauce from scratch? It's actually super easy and delish 
. I found this one recipe that uses just a few ingredients like ketchup, brown sugar, and spices... it's been a game-changer for our summer cookouts 
. Oh, and guess what? My cousin just got a new puppy, and it's the cutest thing ever 
can't believe how fast people move to judgment mode on socials... like 2 mil followers and suddenly everyone's an expert? 
her tribute on ig was so heartfelt, and I'm glad she's taking care of their little one Oakley - that's what matters most right now 
. But at the same time, I feel like some of the media outlets are kinda rushing to judgement or something 
, and that's just gonna make things worse. And on the other hand, I think Jessica Duarte was totally right to be grateful for all the love her husband got from his community after he passed