Man convicted of killing dancer O'Shae Sibley in Brooklyn faces sentencing
The man convicted of manslaughter in the death of O'Shae Sibley will be sentenced Thursday.
Dmitriy Popov, 20, was convicted of stabbing and killing Sibley, 23, at a Brooklyn gas station in 2023. The incident happened during a confrontation that began when a group of young people shouted racist and anti-gay slurs at the professional dancer and his friends who were dancing.
Popov, who was 17 at the time, testified at trial that he was defending himself. Prosecutors said Popov acted out of hate, taunting and jeering at Sibley.
Popov is facing up to 25 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. in a Queens courtroom.
Details of the trial
The three-week trial ended in June with a jury finding Popov guilty of a host of other charges, including 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, which carried the potential of a life sentence.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez commended the verdict.
"It is my hope that as the LGBTQ+ community celebrates the beginning of Pride Month, this verdict will bring O'Shae's family, his friends, and the larger community some measure of solace. Hate has no place in Brooklyn."
Popov's defense attorney said he would appeal the verdict.
What happened at the gas station?
Sibley and his friends had stopped at a Midwood gas station after a beach outing on July 29, 2023. When they were pumping gas, one of them began dancing.
A nearby group started to taunt and jeer at the men, some of whom were shirtless and wearing bathing suits.
The two groups argued for about two minutes, then started to go their separate ways. Sibley's group went back to their car, and most of the other men went back inside the gas station — except for Popov.
Witnesses said at trial that Popov shouted insults as he recorded with his phone. He denied using any bigoted language.
Sibley then confronted Popov again, lunging around a man who tried to step between the two. Popov said Sibley chased him and punched him in the head. Popov testified that he stabbed Sibley with a blade as he tried to protect himself.
