Overview
- On July 29, 2023, prosecutors say Dmitriy Popov stabbed O'Shae Sibley in the torso, puncturing his heart and killing him after a confrontation at a Midwood Brooklyn gas station.
- Popov, who was 17 at the time and is being tried as an adult, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and related counts including a hate-crime enhancement.
- When he took the stand this week, Popov admitted to stabbing Sibley but testified he acted in self-defense, said he was scared, and denied using racial or homophobic slurs.
- Prosecutors counter with surveillance footage and witness testimony that they say show Popov and his group confronting Sibley’s friends, include alleged slurs, and contain moments that contradict Popov’s account.
- The trial is ongoing with more testimony expected and the outcome will turn on whether jurors accept Popov’s self-defense claim or the prosecution’s evidence that the killing was motivated by Sibley’s race and sexual orientation.