Teen accused of killing O’Shea Sibley to be tried as adult

The teenager who fatally stabbed O’Shae Sibley for dancing at a Brooklyn gas station will be prosecuted on hate crime charges as an adult, officials announced Thursday.

Dmitriy Popov was indicted Thursday for second-degree murder as a hate crime for allegedly stabbing Sibley while the professioanal dancer was voguing to a Beyonce song in Coney Island, according to officials and court records.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that the 17-year-old accused killer will be tried as an adult in the youth sector of the Supreme Court.

Gonzalez did not name Popov as the murderer, but records show he was arrested and arraigned for the hate-fueled attack.

Popov, a rising senior at The Professional Pathways Sheepshead High School, has no prior incidents with police, according to records.

He could face 20 years to life behind bars for knifing Sibley, 28, in the chest while he was dancing with friends around 11 p.m. July 29 at a Mobil station on Coney Island Avenue.

“They were being themselves, dancing joyfully to Beyoncé music at a Brooklyn gas station,” Gonzalez said over the din of pounding rain and honking cars.

O’Shae Sibley was stabbed last week after a group of teenagers claimed they were offended by his dancing.
Sage O. Dumure Versailles/Facebook

“We promise the family that we would have a vigorous, thorough prosecution.”

The Brooklyn prosecutor assured that his team is taking the case against Popov — whose name has not yet been revealed by officials — “very seriously.”

Gonzalez referred to the “deadly deed” as an event that has rippled across Brooklyn and placed a spotlight on anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes that continue to permeate the Big Apple.


Eric Gonzalez at a press conference.
Eric Gonzalez announced that the 17-year-old suspect will be tried as an adult in Supreme Court.
Sarah Goodman for NY Post

“The entire community has been victimized by this incident,” Gonzalez said.

“I believe that it is a thing that is special about hate crimes: hate crimes involve not just the family but the entire community’s sense of safety and security.”

Popov’s lawyer refuted the claims, stating that the teenager is a “good Christian boy” — not Muslim as officials originally announced — whose parents immigrated to Brooklyn from Russia.

Defense attorney Mark Pollard told PIX 11 that police have not collected the knife that Popov allegedly used to kill Sibley.


People participate in a memorial march for O'Shae Sibley on August 5, 2023 in New York City.
People participate in a memorial march for O’Shae Sibley on August 5, 2023 in New York City.
Getty Images

“If they found a knife, I didn’t hear it in court,” Pollard said.

When asked if Popov was present at the scene the night of Sibley’s death, Pollard said “No comment.”

Pollard did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Popov surrendered to police last week after cops tracked down surveillance footage of the fatal attack outside the Bolla Mobile station on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue P, records show.


O'Shae Sibley
Sibley’s alleged killer could face between 20 years to life in prison.
Sage O. Dumure Versailles/Facebook

The 17-year-old and Sibley were among two large squads that were seen arguing after Popov and his friends allegedly told Sibley’s group that they were offended by the scantily clad dancing.

The two groups then come face to face and exchange words for several minutes before briefly dispersing — and then confront each other again.

Popov allegedly hurled anti-gay and racist slurs at Sibley before driving the weapon through Sibley’s ribcage behind a black SUV.

Officials said the attack was clearly a hate crime.

Read the full article Here

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DON’T MISS OUT!
Subscribe To Newsletter
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
Stay Updated
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime.
close-link