White man convicted of hate crime for killing O’Shae Sibley

Dmitriy Popov convicted of hate crime manslaughter for stabbing O’Shae Sibley
Sibley was attacked after dancing at a gas station, and Popov used racist and homophobic slurs
The jury rejected Popov’s claim of self-defense and found that the murder was motivated by prejudice against Sibley’s race and orientation.

Some of you may have forgotten about this case, others may remember it painfully. We assure you that we remember it and today justice has arrived.

According to reports from AP NewsA New York jury convicted Dmitriy Popov, 20, of the 2023 murder of O’Shae Sibley, the black gay dancer whose death sparked national outrage and renewed concerns about anti-LGBTQ violence.

After a three-week trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court, jurors found Popov guilty of first-degree involuntary manslaughter as a hate crime, along with second-degree menacing, second-degree aggravated harassment, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was questionably acquitted of the more serious charge of murder as a hate crime, which could have carried a life sentence. Popov is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30 and still faces up to 25 years in prison.

BOSSIP previously reported The case arose from a confrontation on July 29, 2023 at a Brooklyn gas station. Sibley, 28, and several friends had stopped for gas after a day at the beach. While you listen to music, including songs by BeyoncéThe members of the group began to dance. Prosecutors said Popov and others confronted the men, hurling racist and homophobic slurs that allegedly said, “Get that gay shit out of here.” To which Sibley allegedly responded: “You don’t know us, we’re just having a good time and enjoying our lives. It’s all about respect, we’re allowed to be here like you.” According to trial testimony, Sibley attempted to calm the situation by telling the group that they were simply having fun and that they had a right to be there.

Prosecutors argued that Popov continued to become angry at Sibley and his friends, recording them on his phone and making hateful comments. Evidence presented at trial showed that Popov eventually pulled out a knife, threatened one of Sibley’s friends and then stabbed Sibley in the chest, piercing his heart. Sibley was pronounced dead shortly after at a nearby hospital.

The defense maintained that Popov acted in self-defense. Popov testified that Sibley punched him and that he feared he would be seriously injured. Fortunately, no one on the jury believed that nonsense. Prosecutors responded that Popov had provoked the confrontation and that the stabbing was motivated by bias against Sibley’s race and sexual orientation, as evidenced by hate speech made before the altercation. The jury ultimately rejected the self-defense argument and agreed that the murder constituted a hate crime.

Sibley was a professional dancer who performed with Philadelphia’s Philadanco dance company and studied through the Alvin Ailey Extension program in New York. His death attracted widespread attention, with tributes from celebrities including Beyoncé and filmmaker Spike Lee. Following the verdict, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said he hoped the conviction provided some comfort to Sibley’s family, friends and the LGBTQ+ community, adding that “hate has no place in Brooklyn.”