2 days ago
A New York City man who was precocious convicted of a dislike crime successful nan 2023 stabbing decease of vogue dancer O’Shae Sibley is facing a situation condemnation of betwixt 8 and 25 years.
Sentencing for Dmitriy Popov, who was 17 astatine nan clip of Sibley’s slaying, was tentatively scheduled for 30 June pursuing his conviction.
Popov, 20, testified during his proceedings that he fatally stabbed Sibley connected 29 July 2023 extracurricular a Brooklyn gasoline position while legally defending himself. But prosecutors based on that Popov was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ hatred – taunting, jeering and past sidesplitting Sibley erstwhile nan cheery man reacted to nan defendant’s provocations.
A assemblage connected Monday recovered Popov blameworthy of manslaughter arsenic a dislike crime aft a three-week proceedings successful Brooklyn authorities ultimate court. Jurors, who deliberated a week, besides recovered Popov blameworthy of second-degree menacing, aggravated harassment successful nan 2nd grade and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
But it acquitted him of a much superior complaint of execution arsenic a dislike crime.
The jury’s determination spared Popov a condemnation of life imprisonment. But Popov’s attorney, Mark Pollard, said nan manslaughter condemnation meant his customer was facing betwixt 8 and 25 years successful situation for nan manslaughter conviction.
Pollard called nan verdict against Popov “probably bittersweet for some sides”.
“We’re happy he wasn’t blameworthy of execution but disappointed he wasn’t acquitted connected nan remainder of nan charges,” Pollard said.
Sibley had travel backmost from a formation day statement pinch friends and stopped to capable up his car pinch gasoline while blasting Beyoncé euphony erstwhile he encountered Popov.
The 28-year-old Sibley and his friends were dancing shirtless and voguing – aliases engaging successful a shape of creation popularized connected nan ballroom segment by queer Black and Latino group – erstwhile different group began taunting them.
Both groups based on for a mates of minutes earlier starting to spell their abstracted ways, arsenic seen successful information camera video played astatine Popov’s trial. But Popov past approached Sibley’s group, hurled insults and recorded connected his phone, and Sibley confronted him, according to witnesses.
Popov testified that he stabbed Sibley pinch a five-and-half-inch leaf to protect himself, having go “scared that he was going to get hurt”. He denied that he aimed bigoted connection astatine Sibley.
New York prosecutors tried Popov arsenic an big nether a authorities rule which allows anyone older than nan property of 13 who is accused of execution to beryllium considered an adult.
Sibley grew up successful Philadelphia and performed location earlier moving to New York to proceed pursuing his dancing career. He belonged to nan Philadanco creation institution and utilized his dancing to observe his LGBTQ+ identity.
The Associated Press contributed
