Dmitriy Popov, 20, has been convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime for the fatal stabbing of vogue dancer O’Shae Sibley in Brooklyn in 2023. The jury found Popov guilty after a three-week trial, but acquitted him of the more serious charge of murder as a hate crime, sparing him a life sentence.
Popov faces between eight and 25 years in prison, with sentencing tentatively scheduled for 30 June. Prosecutors argued that Popov was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ hatred, taunting and killing Sibley after the 28-year-old dancer reacted to provocations. Popov claimed he acted in self-defence, saying he was scared he would be hurt.
The incident occurred on 29 July 2023 outside a Brooklyn petrol station. Sibley and friends were dancing and voguing to Beyoncé music after a beach birthday party when another group began taunting them. Security camera footage showed Popov approaching Sibley's group, hurling insults, and recording on his phone before the fatal stabbing with a five-and-a-half-inch blade.
Popov's attorney, Mark Pollard, described the verdict as 'probably bittersweet for both sides', expressing disappointment that his client was not acquitted on all charges. Sibley, originally from Philadelphia, had moved to New York to pursue his dancing career and was a member of the Philadanco dance company.
