A New York man convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime for the 2023 stabbing death of dancer O’Shae Sibley faces eight to 25 years in prison. Dmitriy Popov, 20, was acquitted of a murder charge but found guilty of other offenses after a three-week trial.
The conviction highlights ongoing issues of anti-LGBTQ+ violence and the complexities of hate crime legislation, particularly concerning self-defense claims.
A New York City man, Dmitriy Popov, has been convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime for the 2023 stabbing death of vogue dancer O’Shae Sibley. Popov, now 20, faces a prison sentence ranging from eight to 25 years following the verdict reached after a three-week trial in Brooklyn.
Jurors acquitted Popov of the more serious charge of murder as a hate crime but found him guilty of manslaughter, second-degree menacing, aggravated harassment, and criminal possession of a weapon. The conviction spares Popov a potential life sentence but carries significant prison time.
Popov testified that he stabbed Sibley, 28, outside a Brooklyn gas station on July 29, 2023, in self-defense. He denied using anti-LGBTQ+ slurs. Prosecutors, however, argued that Popov was motivated by hatred towards Sibley, a gay man, and that the killing followed taunting and provocation.
Sibley and his friends had stopped to get gas while listening to music and dancing when they encountered Popov and another group. An argument ensued, and security camera footage showed Popov approaching Sibley’s group, hurling insults, and recording them before the confrontation escalated. Popov used a five-and-a-half-inch blade in the stabbing.