NEW YORK MAN CONVICTED OF HATE CRIME IN DANCER'S DEATH FACES UP TO 25 YEARS

Dmitriy Popov was found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime in connection with the fatal stabbing of O'Shae Sibley in Brooklyn on 29 July 2023. A jury in Brooklyn state supreme court reached the verdict after three weeks of trial and a week of deliberation. Popov, who was 17 at the time of the killing, faces a prison sentence of between eight and 25 years. Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for 30 June.

The jury also found Popov guilty of second-degree menacing, aggravated harassment in the second degree and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, but acquitted him of the more serious charge of murder as a hate crime. Prosecutors argued that Popov was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and taunted Sibley before killing him. Popov testified during trial that he used a five-and-a-half-inch blade in self-defence, claiming he feared being hurt. Sibley, 28, was at a petrol station following a beach birthday party when he and friends were dancing and voguing near their vehicle. The incident began when another group started taunting Sibley's group, leading to an argument that appeared to be ending until Popov approached and hurled insults at them.

Popov's legal representative, Mark Pollard, characterised the verdict as "probably bittersweet for both sides". Pollard stated that whilst the acquittal on the murder charge spared Popov a life sentence, the manslaughter conviction as a hate crime nonetheless carried substantial penalties. The jury's decision represents a significant outcome in a case that drew considerable public attention to violence targeting the LGBTQ+ community.