Dmitry Popov testified in his murder trial that he did not intend to hurt O’Shae Sibley, a 28-year-old gay dancer. Popov was arrested in 2023 and charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime after a confrontation in Brooklyn. Witnesses and security footage described Sibley and four friends returning from a beach trip and stopping at a gas station. Sibley was voguing to a Beyoncé song when a group of young men told him to stop, citing Muslim faith, while others reported racist and anti-gay slurs. The groups exchanged heated words, then dispersed, but some witnesses said harassment continued. A fight broke out when Sibley’s group returned to confront the other men, and Popov stabbed Sibley in the torso. Sibley died after being taken to Maimonides Medical Center.
"On Wednesday, Popov took the stand to testify in his murder trial. The now-20-year-old was arrested in 2023 and charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime in connection with Sibley's death following a confrontation with Popov, who was 17 at the time, and others."
"According to witnesses and security camera footage, Sibley and four friends were returning from a trip to the beach on July 29, 2023, when they stopped at a Brooklyn gas station. Sibley, a professional dancer, was voguing to a Beyoncé song in the parking lot when a group of young men reportedly told him to stop. Witnesses said that the young men cited their Muslim faith as a reason that Sibley had to stop dancing, and others claimed the group used racist and anti-gay slurs."
"Surveillance video of the altercation reportedly shows Sibley and friends exchanging heated words with the young men, one of whom can be seen recording the interaction with his phone. According to CBS News, the two groups eventually began to disperse, but one witness claimed the group of young men continued to harass Sibley and his friends as they were leaving. Another witness claimed the group may have continued to make anti-LGBTQ+ comments."
"The suspect stabbed Sibley in the torso and ran off. Sibley was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where he died. Popov, who has pleaded not guilty, testified Wednesday that while his friends used anti-gay slurs during their interaction wi"
Read at LGBTQ Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]