The father of Dmitriy Popov, the 17-year-old charged with murdering professional dancer O'Shea Sibley at a Brooklyn gas station, has insisted his son was the one under attack. Popov's father told DailyMail.com: 'My son is a good kid, he goes to church, he goes to school—all that they say is not true.'
Popov is accused of stabbing Sibley, 28, on 29 July 2023 after a group of teens allegedly yelled homophobic and anti-black slurs at Sibley and his friends, according to surveillance footage. The argument appeared to break up, but Sibley and his friends returned and crossed the parking lot to confront Popov, who was recording on his phone. Video shows Sibley lunging at the teen before the stabbing occurred out of camera view.
Popov pleaded not guilty in August to second-degree murder as a hate crime. His attorney, Mark Pollard, said: 'This is a very strong case of self defence. There was no intentional murder here.' Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez vowed a vigorous prosecution, stating: 'Defending yourself from being an anti-gay or anti-Black comment is not a cause for someone to take a weapon.'
Sibley, a dancer with Philadanco, was remembered as 'a beacon of light' by friend Otis Pena. More than 200 people attended his funeral in Philadelphia. Popov, a fourth-year student with no prior criminal record, remains in custody.
