Neighbor of Michael Duarte Reveals New Details About Fatal Encounter with Police
An individual residing near the location where culinary personality Michael Duarte was lodging before his passing is offering additional details regarding what she asserts were the events immediately preceding his fatal shooting by law enforcement.
“The situation unfolded over an extended period, lasting for multiple hours,” the anonymous resident shares in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, describing the “tragic and startling” occurrence that resulted in Duarte’s demise on November 8.
The neighbor states that Duarte — recognized across digital platforms as FoodWithBearHands — had been granted authorization to reside on the premises by a collective renting a residence in Castroville, Texas. He was occupying an outdoor camping tent, not the interior of the house.
“Consequently, he wasn't residing with the household, nor did they have a personal acquaintance, despite their apparent shared involvement in the professional gathering,” the neighbor explains.
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As per various accounts, Duarte was present in the locale for the Texas Open Fire Meat Up, a barbecue celebration slated for November 8.
The woman believes Duarte had been journeying with a male companion who harbored worries about his well-being. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether this individual contacted law enforcement.
The resident further asserts that a primary surveillance camera on the three-acre estate captured individuals approaching the residence from the thoroughfare. During a segment of his time there, Duarte appeared on camera exhibiting a “disordered” appearance, as described by the woman.
The woman states that the gunfire occurred on the public road. She comprehends that Duarte “communicated or implied he possessed a weapon and intended to deploy it,” though she is unaware of the specific kind of weapon.
Numerous accounts suggested that the culinary figure reportedly menaced a law enforcement officer with a blade.
Furthermore, there were “indications of blood on the premises distinct from the shooting site,” the neighbor asserts. She also claims that “blood was discovered within the camping tent,” which contained two sleeping bags.
Concurrently, Bianca Haseloff, a real estate agent in the area, informs Us that she was presenting a vacant parcel to a client in close proximity when they overheard a man's shriek and what “resembled two firearm discharges.”
“While our conversation was underway, we discerned extremely loud screaming from an individual, whose voice appeared quite agitated,” Haseloff asserts to Us. “I distinguished a man yelling [phrases] such as, ‘Somebody has to retrieve me! Someone must extract me from this place!”
Haseloff further states, “The sound conveyed someone shouting directives, for instance, ‘Halt! Or release that item!’ Yet, the situation involved an abundance of simultaneous yelling.”
Prior to detecting the gunshots, Haseloff alleges she heard a man “shouting with considerable volume, and his tone seemed highly incensed, and I distinctly heard him vocalize, ‘Someone must collect me or remove me from here’ on numerous occasions.”
Us has sought remarks from law enforcement and rangers stationed at the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
A representative from the Medina County Sheriff’s Office informed TMZ on Wednesday, November 12, that Duarte sustained a gunshot wound from police in Castroville following officers' response to an emergency 911 dispatch. The sheriff’s office conveyed to the publication that law enforcement had received a report concerning a “male individual wielding a knife and behaving unpredictably,” subsequently identified as Duarte.
Upon the arrival of law enforcement personnel at the location, Duarte is said to have advanced toward an attending deputy in a purportedly menacing fashion. Subsequent to “numerous spoken directives” issued to the culinary personality to “assume a prone position,” he reportedly “rushed” the deputy.
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The spokesperson asserts that Duarte exclaimed, “I intend to take your life,” while advancing towards one of the officers, at which point the deputy discharged their weapon twice, hitting him.
Duarte purportedly received medical attention at the site. He was subsequently transported to University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, where his death was officially declared.
Information regarding Duarte’s demise emerged on Wednesday following the establishment of a GoFundMe fundraiser aimed at defraying funeral expenses and assisting his family, comprising his wife Jessica and their six-year-old daughter, Oakley.
“While he was globally recognized as ‘FoodwithBearHands,’ for us, he represented a devoted spouse, parent, sibling, and a cherished companion to numerous individuals,” the page articulated after disclosing that Duarte, who garnered over 2 million online followers for his culinary content, had passed away due to a “terrible misfortune.”
“This profound sorrow arrived unexpectedly, necessitating Jessica to bear the costs of repatriating him to California and managing burial expenditures,” the description proceeded. “Throughout this period, and in the subsequent months and years, our aim is to ensure Jessica and Oakley receive the care Michael would have desired for them. Your assistance would provide solace, consistency, and a reassurance that they are not shouldering this burden in isolation.”
