Dmitriy Popov was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday for killing O'Shae Sibley.
O'Shae Sibley was killed during an attack at a Brooklyn gas station in 2023. Prosecutors said Dmitriy Popov, who was 17-years old at the time of the murder, hurled homophobic and anti-Black slurs during the attack.
On Thursday, the victim's family and friends remembered him in court as a vibrant young man who moved to New York to pursue his dreams before the judge handed down the sentence.
Last month, a jury found Popov guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime.
Popov opted to address the court before receiving his sentence and apologized.
"I apologize for this unfortunate event, I never wanted to kill anybody, never wanted this to go out like this...The decision that was made, I wish I could take back from my heart. I know there's nothing I can say right now that can bring O'Shae back," Popov said.
Eight people gave gripping impact statements.
"We spoke about my brother because he's the one 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," said the victim's sister Destiny Kelly.
One by one, powerful statements were made about the impact of Sibley's murder to the dance and Black gay communities.
"I sobbed and I've been doing this for 30 years," said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. "When you realize that a life as brilliant as O'Shae was stolen and for the motives, for the hateful reasons why it was done, it touches people."
Popov testified at trial that he was just defending himself when he stabbed Sibley, who was 28.
Sibley and his friends had stopped at the gas station after a beach outing on July 29, 2023. When they were pumping gas, one of them began dancing, drawing the attention of a nearby group of young men and teenagers.
Some of the people in that group began taunting and jeering at the dancing men, some of whom were shirtless and wearing bathing suits.
The two groups argued for about two minutes, then started to go their separate ways. Sibley's group went back to their car. Most of the other men went back inside the gas station - except for Popov.
Witnesses testified at trial that Popov shouted insults as he recorded with his phone. He denied using any bigoted language.
Sibley then confronted Popov again, lunging around a man who tried to step between the pair. Popov testified that Sibley chased him and punched him in the head. The security camera video didn't show the blow, but Popov testified that he stabbed Sibley with a 5-and-a-half-inch blade as he tried to protect himself.
"O'Shae Sibley was simply being himself - a black gay man enjoying a summer evening - but his mere existence caused this defendant to curse, harass and ultimately kill him," Gonzalez said. "Everyone in Brooklyn must be allowed to live as they wish and love who they want, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm others out of bias and hate. I hope today's sentence will bring some closure to O'Shae's many loved ones and to the entire LGBTQ+ community, which has been shaken by this tragic and deeply upsetting crime."
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)