A friend just sent me this cartoon, and called it Alternate Horse Stopping Procedure.

If you're having trouble reading the 'call-out', it says ".. or could you just try saying 'WHOA'?"

Is this what's called a horse laugh?

Ouch.  The best jokes are always the ones that cut closest to the truth.  This one is right on the money.  Why wouldn't the RCMP (and other police officers) just say 'whoa' instead of assaulting people with a taser? 

It's all about officer safety, as far as I can tell from what various police spokespersons say.  Sure, they usually cite public safety too, but that seems to me to be no more than rhetoric trotted out to justify their real concern.  In some ways, I sympathize.  It's a dangerous job.  But then, that's what they signed up for, isn't it?