O’Shae Sibley’s killer found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime
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Prosecutors argued Sibley was targeted because he was a Black gay man openly expressing himself with friends at a Brooklyn gas station.
A New York jury has convicted Dmitriy Popov in the 2023 killing of professional dancer O’Shae Sibley, finding him guilty of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime following a three-week trial in Brooklyn.
According to the Associated Press, jurors reached the verdict Monday after nearly a week of deliberations. Popov, now 20, was 17 years old when Sibley, 28, was fatally stabbed during a confrontation at a Brooklyn gas station on July 29, 2023.
Prosecutors argued that Popov acted out of anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ bias after he and others directed racist and homophobic slurs toward Sibley and his friends, who had been dancing and voguing to Beyoncé music after returning from a beach outing. Authorities said the confrontation escalated after insults and taunts continued even as the groups initially appeared to separate.
The jury also convicted Popov of second-degree menacing, second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. However, he was acquitted of murder as a hate crime, a charge that carried a possible life sentence.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said he hopes the verdict brings some comfort to Sibley’s loved ones and the broader LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month. Gonzalez described Sibley as a talented artist whose life was cut short because he and his friends were openly expressing themselves as Black gay men.
Popov testified during the trial that he acted in self-defense, claiming he feared for his safety after Sibley allegedly punched him. Security footage shown to jurors captured much of the encounter, though it did not show the fatal stabbing itself. Defense attorney Mark Pollard said he plans to appeal the verdict.
According to the Associated Press, Popov faces a sentence ranging from eight to 25 years in prison on the manslaughter conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30.
Sibley was a member of Philadelphia’s acclaimed dance company Philadanco and studied through Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ailey Extension program. His death sparked widespread outrage and tributes from prominent figures, including Beyoncé and filmmaker Spike Lee, while his funeral in Philadelphia drew hundreds of mourners.