The father of the teenage messer accused of killing O’Shea Sibley at a gas station claims his son, Dmitriy Popov, was the one attacked.
Popov, then 17, was accused of stabbing 28-year-old Sibley, a professional dancer who was “voguing” to a Beyoncé song while filling up his car on July 29, 2023.
Following a hearing in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Wednesday, Popov’s father told DailyMail.com exclusively: “My son is a good kid, he goes to church, he goes to school – everything they say is not true.”
“He was attacked by four people,” his father added.
Popov, 17, pictured here, is charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime. Yet his father insists his son was the actual victim
Pictured here in his younger years, Popov trained as a kickboxer
Popov pleaded not guilty in August to manslaughter as a hate crime. The fourth-year student at Professional Pathways Sheepshead High School had no previous run-ins with the law.
At the time of the altercation, surveillance footage captured a group of teenagers allegedly shouting homophobic slurs and anti-black statements at Sibley and his friends, according to surveillance footage. ABC news Chicago reported.
Security camera footage showed that the argument had broken up and both groups had walked away when Sibley and his friends abruptly returned and crossed a parking lot to confront the white 17-year-old, who was recording on his phone, the Associated Press reported.
In the video, Sibley could be seen following the teen and then charging at him. The stabbing happened out of sight of the cameras.
Officials said after the words were exchanged, the teen grabbed a knife and stabbed Sibley to death.
Popov then turned himself in when Brooklyn prosecutors charged him with murder, hate crime murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Mark Pollard, Popov’s lawyer, told DailyMail.com that this is “a very strong case of self-defense.”
“There was no intentional homicide here, and we intend to prove that after the trial, and they certainly won’t be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt to support this charge,” Pollard said.
Popov, pictured here with his family
“My son is a good kid, he goes to church, he goes to school – everything they say is not true,” Popov’s father said of his son, pictured here as a child
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez previously assured the public that the case against Popov would be taken “very seriously.”
“They were themselves and joyfully danced to Beyoncé music at a gas station in Brooklyn,” Gonzalez said.
“We promise the family that we will have a strong, thorough prosecution.”
Sibley’s fatal stabbing sent shockwaves through the communities he touched
His family, pictured here, is left to mourn the loss of his young life as prosecutors seek justice for his murder
“Defending yourself for making an anti-gay or anti-black comment and fighting back is not a reason for anyone to pick up a gun and do what was done in this case,” Gonzalez added.
More than 200 people attended Sibley’s funeral in his hometown of Philadelphia at the historic Opera House.
Sibley had moved to New York to pursue his career as a dancer. He performed with dance company Philadanco and danced to celebrate his LGBTQ+ identity.
Otis Pena, a close friend of Sibley’s who was at the gas station, shared his grief hours later Facebook video. “O’Shae had the power to touch everyone’s heart, no matter who met him.”
He added, “He was “a beacon of light for many of us in our community.”
Sibley had moved to New York to pursue his career as a dancer. He performed with dance company Philadanco and danced to celebrate his LGBTQ+ identity
The 28-year-old was known as ‘a beacon of light’ for his community
A celebration of life service followed at the Met in Philadelphia. Sibley’s father, Jake Kelly, was seen resting his eyes on his son in his casket as he said his final goodbyes.
Sidley was buried at Fernwood Cemetery in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. His grief-stricken mother, Onetha Sibley, was seen placing her hand on her son’s royal blue casket, surrounded by loved ones.
After his death, tributes poured in far and wide, including from filmmaker Spike Lee and musical artist Beyonce. Spike Lee posted the Instagram message “Rest in Power.”