Dmitriy Popov has been convicted in the 2023 killing of O’Shae Sibley, a Black gay dancer whose death drew national outrage and renewed concern about anti-LGBTQ violence. A New York jury found the 20-year-old guilty of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime, along with second-degree menacing, second-degree aggravated harassment, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was acquitted of the more serious charge of murder as a hate crime. Sentencing is scheduled for June 30, and Popov faces up to 25 years in prison.
The verdict followed a three-week trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court over the fatal confrontation that took place on July 29, 2023, at a Brooklyn gas station. According to prosecutors, Sibley, 28, and several friends had stopped for gas after a day at the beach and were dancing while music played, including songs by Beyoncé. Prosecutors said Popov and others confronted the group and used racist and homophobic slurs, including comments telling them to “get that gay s–t out of here.” Witnesses said Sibley tried to defuse the situation, telling the men they were simply enjoying themselves and had every right to be there.
Trial evidence showed that the confrontation escalated after Popov continued to taunt Sibley and his friends, recording them on his phone and making hostile remarks. Prosecutors said Popov then pulled a knife, threatened one of the friends, and stabbed Sibley in the chest, piercing his heart. Sibley was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Popov’s defense argued that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Sibley punched him and that he feared serious injury. Jurors rejected that explanation, agreeing with prosecutors that Popov had provoked the encounter and that the attack was driven by bias against Sibley’s race and sexual orientation. The hate crime finding was central to the case and reflected the jury’s conclusion that prejudice played a role in the killing.
Sibley was known as a professional dancer who performed with Philadelphia’s Philadanco dance company and studied through the Alvin Ailey Extension program in New York. His death prompted tributes from public figures including Beyoncé and filmmaker Spike Lee, and it became a painful symbol of violence faced by LGBTQ people and people of color.
After the verdict, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the conviction should bring some measure of comfort to Sibley’s loved ones and to the LGBTQ+ community. He said hate has no place in Brooklyn, underscoring the broader significance of the case beyond the courtroom.
