What does the Punisher Symbol mean? Uvalde hallway camera footage shows cop checking phone wallpaper mid-shooting

A disturbing video of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas has been obtained by news outlets KVUE-TV and Austin American Statesman, which shows a cop looking at a Punisher symbol on his phone wallpaper before walking to the terrorized classroom.

The incident, which happened on May 24, left 19 children and two teachers dead after an armed man crashed a truck across the street, entered the school premises and fired blindly.

The 77-minute-long video showed the authorities rushing to Robb Elementary School minutes after the 18-year-old shooter, Salvador Ramos, entered the premises but waited for 45 minutes in the hallway before they breached the classroom. The video also shows a cop using a hand sanitizer and checking his phone before entering the area.

However, a zoomed-in picture of the cop's phone shows that the wallpaper in the background was that of a Punisher symbol.

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What does Punisher Symbol actually mean?

The symbol first became popular in 1974 via The Amazing Spider-Man comics, which featured Vietnam veteran turned assassin-for-hire Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher. Later comics depicted Castle's transformation as The Punisher after seeing his family's murder, motivating him to avenge their deaths by waging his own war on crime.

The Punisher symbol, or the Punisher's Skull, is a white cranium graphic painted on a black background.

For years, this symbol has been associated with law enforcement and has been seen on various shirts, flags, and other merchandise. As per Inverse, the skull symbol has been adopted by the military and police aside from several right-wing protestors.

The Punisher symbols were also seen during the Charlottesville protests as well as during the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In 2017, the word and symbol got a new meaning after several police vehicles with the symbol pasted on them had the phrase "Blue Lives Matter" written over them, which was heavily criticized.

Post the incident, Police Chief Cameron Logan spoke to news outlet io9, stating:

“We’re getting so many calls, and they’re saying that the Punisher logo [means] we’re out to kill people, and that’s not the meaning behind that.”

While talking to Inverse, Pete Forhan of Thin Blue Line USA said that the meaning of the Punisher symbol has changed over the years.

“It’s adopted a new meaning over the last few years. Less of a violent overtone, more of a promise to criminals: You might think you’re getting away with it, but it’s karma. If you’re committing violent acts, one way or another, you will be meeting consequences.”

Forhan also said that another reason for the Punisher symbol was to honor the officers who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

“So when you wear the skull with the thin blue line, you say, ‘Here are my fallen brothers, and what I’m doing is to keep that legacy going.’”

After Netflix's series The Punisher was released, the infamous symbol once again came into the limelight and was seen in various protests and armed attacks being used by people.

In a tweet, Jon Bernthal, who played the lead role in the series, dubbed the protesters who were seen wearing Punisher skulls as "misguided, lost and afraid."