“Whether you think the Punisher is justified or not, whether you admire his code of ethics, he is an outlaw. He is a criminal. Police should not be embracing a criminal as their symbol,” he told the publication.

Use of the image has been controversial elsewhere, as well.

In February 2017, a police precinct in Kentucky branded vehicles with Punisher decals and the words “Blue Lives Matter” across them, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. The police chief removed them after public backlash.

Taylor, the Ethical Society president, warned that officers could jeopardize their careers by using the image.

“Under no circumstances should you make your photo that of the Punisher logo or make any statements on social media that are inappropriate about the Chief or the Circuit Attorney,” she said in an email. “Do not place your careers as officers in any situation where your cases and hard work will not be heard in a criminal court.”