Killer of Black Gay Dancer O’Shae Sibley Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison, Issues Family Apology

20-year-old Dmitriy Popov, the man convicted in the fatal stabbing of Black queer dancer O’Shae Sibley in 2023 at a Brooklyn gas station, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday.

Gaye Magazine previously reported that a jury found Popov guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime last month. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Popov and several others targeted Sibley and his friends with racist and anti-gay slurs while the group danced and vogued to Beyoncé music after spending the day at the beach.

Ahead of sentencing, eight people delivered emotional victim impact statements, including Sibley’s sister, Destiny Kelly.

“We spoke about my brother because he’s the one who is no longer here. It wasn’t about the defendant. Yes, he got time, but his family can go visit him, they can talk to him. We can never see my brother again,” Kelly said.

Popov, who was 17 years old at the time of the killing, maintained throughout the trial that he acted in self-defense when he fatally stabbed the 28-year-old Sibley. Before receiving his sentence, he addressed the court and apologized to Sibley’s loved ones.

“No matter the outcome of my sentence, I just ask for forgiveness from family, friends and loved ones,” Popov said, according to ABC7.

“I apologize for this unfortunate event. I never wanted to kill anybody. I would want everybody to know this had nothing to do with race or sexuality. I just wish I could take it back. I’m sorry.”

According to court testimony, Sibley and his friends were gathered at a gas station near Coney Island when Popov and two others confronted them and demanded they stop dancing. Witnesses testified that the men directed homophobic remarks toward the group and challenged their presence in the public space.

Prosecutors said Sibley attempted to de-escalate the situation, telling those involved that they were “just having a good time” and had as much right to be there as anyone else. The confrontation, however, continued to intensify.

During the altercation, prosecutors said Popov brandished a knife, threatened one of Sibley’s friends, and ultimately stabbed Sibley in the chest. The wound pierced his heart.

Sibley was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.