"Popov, now 20, is on trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court charged as an adult for murder as a hate crime, and is claiming self defense. In her opening statement Monday, Assistant D.A. Sarah Jafari told jurors that Popov and his friends from a nearby smoke shop mocked and tormented Sibley and his group, who were returning home after a day at the beach, exuberantly dancing in their swimsuits to Beyonce as they pumped gas. You cannot provoke an argument based on hate and use that confrontation as an excuse to kill another human being, Jafari said."
"Jafari said Sibley, 28, and his four friends were returning from a trip to the Jersey Shore to celebrate the birthday of one member of their group, Otis Pena, when they pulled over to get gas just after 11 a.m. They were all wearing their bathing suits, no tops, and Pena's bathing suit was essentially a jock strap, the prosecutor said. They were living their best lives. But this is the time when the defendant's group collided with O'Shae's friends, Jafari said."
"Jafari said Popov and two of his friends walked over from the smoke shop where they walked to the gas station and entered the attached. People gather at a memorial for O'Shae Sibley on Aug. 4, 2023, at the gas station where he was murdered in Brooklyn. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Popov was 17 years old when he knifed O'Shae Sibley at the Mobil station on Coney Island Ave. near Avenue P in Midwood on July 29, 2023, prosecutors allege, in a crime that drew national attention including a reaction from Beyonce, who posted a tribute to the victim on her web page."
"It's going to be clear to you at the end of this case that this is not a case of self defense. This is a case about hate, about bigotry, about ignorance, and about violence. Dmitriy Popov was 17 years old when he knifed O'Shae Sibley at the Mobil station on Coney Island Ave. near Avenue P in Midwood on July 29, 2023, prosecutors allege, in a crime that drew national attention including a reaction from Beyonce, who posted a tribute to the victim on her web page."
Dmitriy Popov, accused of fatally stabbing O’Shae Sibley in Brooklyn on July 29, 2023, is on trial as an adult for murder as a hate crime and is claiming self-defense. Prosecutors say Popov was offended by Sibley’s group shirtless voguing and mocked and tormented them while armed. They allege the victim and friends were returning from the Jersey Shore, wearing swimsuits and dancing to Beyonce while pumping gas. Prosecutors argue the confrontation was provoked by bigotry and cannot be used as an excuse to kill. The case drew national attention, including a tribute from Beyonce.
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