What Is The Mannequin Challenge? Rikers Island Jail Inmate Slashed Returning From Court

A New York City jail inmate was slashed in the face while riding one of the correctional facility's buses during what officials characterized as a brutal mannequin challenge last week.

Angel Gonzalez, 33, an alleged member of the Sex Money Murder gang, was on his way to the Anna M. Kross Center at the Rikers Island detention complex following a court appearance in the Bronx when the sadistic incident occurred. He was left with a slice down his right cheek at about 5:40 p.m. local time on Friday.

“As he stepped into the aisle, he felt a swiping motion across his face. He looked behind him and observed all inmates sitting as if part of the mannequin challenge,” Deputy Warden David Dueno wrote in an email obtained by the New York Daily News.

Correction officers were unaware of Friday’s attack, noting that the bus was quiet, according to reports.

No weapon was found on the scene.

Peter Throne, the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information, told the International Business Times that the incident is under investigation.

“We will be acquiring non-ionizing scanners that should help us more finely screen for contraband, which drives violence in our facilities,” Correction Department of Officials told International Business Times. “We will continue to work closely with State legislators to pursue the change in State law required to implement ionizing body scanners, which are successfully used to reduce or eliminate contraband in federal correctional facilities and can find small blades that other machines miss."

Gonzalez was being held on a felony conspiracy charge at the Brooklyn Detention Complex.

The Mannequin Challenge, a viral internet video trend that started last year, is usually performed in groups and features people freezing in action — like mannequins — while being filmed. The song, "Black Beatles," by rap group Rae Sremmurd, is usually playing in the background.