The Related Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Police have arrested a 17-year-old highschool scholar on a hate-motivated homicide cost within the deadly stabbing of knowledgeable dancer throughout an altercation between two teams of associates at a New York Metropolis gasoline station final weekend.
Police took {the teenager} into custody Aug. 4 in reference to the killing of the 28-year-old O’Shae Sibley, who was homosexual. Authorities declined to launch the defendant’s identify.
“Mother and father misplaced a toddler, a toddler, to one thing that was clearly a hate crime,” Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, mentioned Aug. 5 throughout a information convention exterior the Brooklyn gasoline station the place Sibley was killed July 29.
The stabbing occurred after the 2 teams received right into a confrontation at one of many gasoline pumps, the place Sibley was dancing along with his associates to a Beyoncé track. Authorities mentioned Sibley’s group was being taunted by the opposite group earlier than the confrontation led to violence.
Beyoncé would later pay tribute to Sibley on her web site.
Safety digicam video confirmed the 2 teams arguing for a couple of minutes. Either side had walked away when Sibley and a buddy abruptly returned and once more confronted one of many younger males, who had stayed behind recording on his cellphone.
Within the video, Sibley may very well be seen following the teenager after which lunging at him earlier than the 2 disappeared out of the digicam’s view. A second later, he walks backward into view, checking his aspect, after which collapses to the sidewalk.
He was stabbed as soon as within the left rib cage, in response to Assistant Police Chief Joe Kenny.
“We are able to see on the video a heated verbal dispute rapidly turns bodily,” he mentioned.
“As they waited to refuel their car, Mr. Sibley and his group started dancing to music that was being performed of their automobile. At this level, a male referred to as out to Mr. Sibley and his group demanding that they cease dancing,” Kenny mentioned. “Because the group started to yell at Mr. Sibley and his associates, they started to name him derogatory names and use homophobic slurs in opposition to him.”
The preliminary encounter lasted about 4 minutes, police mentioned, when Sibley and 4 different males stopped to refuel whereas touring residence to New York Metropolis from New Jersey.
Authorities mentioned the suspect organized for his give up via his lawyer.
Lee Soulja Simmons, the chief director for the NYC Middle for Black Delight, additionally spoke on the information convention.
“We wrestle with folks inside our group continually dealing with discrimination — not simply since you’re Black however since you signify LGBT” communities, he mentioned.
“The truth that he was doing nothing extra however voguing and dancing right here, he didn’t need to die in that manner,” Simmons mentioned.
Certainly one of Sibley’s associates who was there, Otis Pena, mentioned in a Fb video that Sibley was killed as a result of he was homosexual, and “as a result of he stood up for his associates.”
One witness, Summy Ullah, mentioned in interviews that the lads complained that their conduct offended them as Muslims.
Some leaders of the realm’s Muslim group condemned the slaying.
“The burden of this loss is felt deeply, not simply by the household and associates of O’Shae, however by all of us who worth life, peace and justice,” Soniya Ali, the chief director of the Muslim Group Middle, mentioned Aug. 5.
“As Muslims, we’re dedicated to face up for justice, even when it means standing in opposition to our personal selves,” she mentioned. “We unequivocally condemn the unjust homicide of O’Shae.”
Sibley carried out with the dance firm Philadanco in his native Philadelphia and in New York, the place he took courses with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ailey Extension program.
