Teen arrested in NY for homicide {of professional} dancer

NEW YORK (AP) — Police arrested a 17-year-old highschool pupil on a hate-motivated homicide cost after an expert dancer was stabbed to loss of life final weekend throughout an altercation between two teams of associates at a fuel station in New York Metropolis. New York Metropolis.

Police arrested {the teenager} Friday within the homicide of 28-year-old O’Shae Sibley, who was homosexual. Authorities refused to establish the defendant.

“Dad and mom misplaced a toddler, a toddler, to one thing that was clearly a criminal offense of bigotry,” Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, stated throughout a information convention Saturday outdoors the Brooklyn fuel station the place Sibley was assassinated on July 29.

The stabbing occurred after two teams clashed in entrance of one of many fuel pumps, the place Sibley was dancing together with her associates to a Beyonce track. Authorities stated Sibley’s group was provoked by the opposite group earlier than the confrontation erupted into violence.

Beyonce paid tribute to Sibley on her web site.

Within the safety video the 2 teams are seen arguing for a couple of minutes. The 2 events had walked away when Sibley and a pal abruptly returned and confronted one of many youths, who had been left behind recording together with his cellphone.

Within the video, Sibley is seen chasing the teenager after which lunging at him earlier than they each disappeared from digital camera view. A second later, she walks again and reappears within the footage, checking his facet, whereupon he falls to the sidewalk.

Sibley was stabbed within the left ribcage, in accordance with Deputy Police Chief Joe Kenny.

The preliminary argument lasted about 4 minutes, police stated, as Sibley and 4 different males stopped for fuel whereas driving house to New York Metropolis from New Jersey.

The authorities detailed that the suspect organized his supply to the police via his lawyer.

Lee Soulja Simmons, government director of the NYC Heart for Black Pleasure, additionally spoke on the press convention.

“We battle alongside individuals inside our group who consistently face discrimination, not simply because they’re black, however as a result of they symbolize LGBT (communities),” he stated. “As a result of he did nothing however pose and dance there, he didn’t should die that approach.”

One in every of Sibley’s associates who was on the scene, Otis Pena, stated 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, stated in interviews that the lads complained that their conduct offended them as Muslims.

Some leaders of the realm’s Muslim group condemned the killing.

“The load of this loss is felt deeply, not solely by O’Shae’s household and associates, however by all of us who worth life, peace and justice,” Soniya Ali, government director of the Group Heart, stated Saturday. Muslim. .

“As Muslims, we’re dedicated to upholding justice, even when it means dealing with ourselves,” he careworn. “We unequivocally condemn the unjust homicide of O’Shae.”

Sibley was a part of the Philadanco dance firm in her native Philadelphia and in New York, the place she took lessons with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ailey Extension program.