Prosecutors Argued Sibley Was Targeted Because He Was A Black Gay Man Openly Expressing Himself With Friends At A Brooklyn Gas Station
A New York jury has convicted Dmitriy Popov in the 2023 killing of professional dancer O’Shae Sibley, finding him guilty of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime after a three-week trial in Brooklyn.
The verdict came nearly three years after Sibley, a 28-year-old Black gay man and professional dancer, was fatally stabbed during a confrontation at a Brooklyn gas station on July 29, 2023. Popov, now 20, was 17 at the time.
Prosecutors argued Sibley was targeted because he was a Black gay man openly expressing himself with friends at a Brooklyn gas station. Sibley and his friends had stopped at a Mobil gas station in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood after a beach outing and were dancing and voguing to Beyoncé’s Renaissance when another group of men confronted them.
Witnesses said members of the group directed homophobic slurs at Sibley and his friends and told them to stop dancing. Voguing, a dance style rooted in Harlem’s Black and Latino queer ballroom scene, has long carried deep cultural meaning in LGBTQ+ communities. Beyoncé’s Renaissance album, widely celebrated for honoring Black queer dance music, had become part of that same expression of freedom and joy.
Surveillance footage shown during the case captured much of the confrontation, though it did not show the fatal stabbing itself. Video from the scene showed members of Sibley’s group approaching the other men before a tense exchange unfolded. At one point, Sibley and the suspect appeared to speak directly before the groups began arguing again.
Police received a call around 11:15 p.m. and found Sibley with a stab wound to the torso. His close friend, Otis Pena, later said he tried to stop the bleeding by pressing on the wound before Sibley was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
“They murdered him because he was gay, because he stood up for his friends,” Pena said in a Facebook video posted hours after the stabbing.
The jury convicted Popov 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 murder as a hate crime, a charge that carried a possible life sentence.
Defense Claimed Self-Defense
Popov testified during the trial that he acted in self-defense, claiming he feared for his safety after Sibley allegedly punched him. His defense attorney, Mark Pollard, said he plans to appeal the conviction.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said he hoped the verdict would bring some comfort to Sibley’s loved ones and to the broader LGBTQ+ community, particularly during Pride Month. Gonzalez described Sibley as a talented artist whose life was cut short because he and his friends were expressing themselves openly as Black gay men.
Popov faces eight to 25 years in prison on the manslaughter conviction. His sentencing is scheduled for June 30.
LGBTQ Advocates Said The Killing Reflected A Larger Crisis
Sibley’s killing drew national attention because it happened amid rising concerns over violence and harassment aimed at LGBTQ+ people across the country.
GLAAD director of local news Darian Aaron said at the time that Sibley’s death followed a “disturbing rise in violence and harassment against LGBTQ people across the U.S.”
“This cannot continue. No one should have to fear for their safety just for being themselves,” Aaron said. “O’Shae Sibley had the audacity to live without the restraints of patriarchy and toxic masculinity, embracing freedom and joy. He should still be alive to celebrate all that made him great and inspired others to live their truth.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams also referred to the stabbing as a hate crime shortly after Sibley’s death, saying the killing shook the city’s sense of safety and confidence.
Remembering O’Shae Sibley’s Life And Art
Sibley was remembered as a gifted dancer with a wide creative range. He was a member of Philadelphia’s acclaimed dance company Philadanco and studied through Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ailey Extension program.
Friends and fellow dancers described him as joyful, expressive and deeply committed to his craft. Choreographer Kemar Jewel, who met Sibley when he was a teenager, said Sibley had a rare ability to blend dance styles, moving from jazz to ballet to modern dance and voguing with ease.
Ja’Michael Darnell, who performed with Sibley at The Ailey Spirit Gala, remembered him as a thoughtful friend and a standout dancer whose turns, kicks and movement across the floor often left classmates in awe.
His aunt, Tondra Sibley, told The New York Times after his death that “all he wanted to do was dance.”
The Ailey Extension mourned Sibley as a “cherished and devoted” student with “incredible energy.” Beyoncé posted a tribute on her website that read, “Rest in power O’Shae Sibley,” while filmmaker Spike Lee and others also honored his memory.
For many, Sibley’s killing became a painful reminder that Black LGBTQ+ joy is still too often met with hostility. His life, however, is remembered for the very thing he was doing before he was killed: dancing freely, with his friends, in full possession of who he was.
