Taser parties boost stun gun sales

You’ve heard of Tupperware parties. Well, get ready for the latest selling gig: Taser stun-gun parties.

Yes, the nation’s first semiofficial “Taser parties” are being organized in the East Valley by a dealer who happens to be a woman.

“Our Taser parties are aimed at women, but we would never reject a male guest,” said Dana Leigh Shafman, 34, a Scottsdale native who is the owner and founder of a new Taser International dealership called Shieldher.

Shafman, who holds a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University, formed Shieldher in February to ease her own fears as well as turn a profit.

“I live alone in a big house with lots of windows and doors,” said Shafman, who worked as a manager for several Valley companies before starting the business out of her home.

“Like most women, at night I’d stay awake and listen for sounds. When I was younger, I put a baseball bat under my bed. Then, as I got older, I’d bring knives to bed. That was too much!”

Shafman learned about the C2 Taser stun gun, a less powerful version of the Taser sold to law enforcement agencies and the military that is geared to the civilian market.

While the X26 model for law enforcement sells for about $1,000, the C2 costs just $349. It is small and comes in colors such as electric blue, black pearl, Titanium silver and metal pink.

Both the X26 and C2 fire darts more than 15 feet that eject 50,000 volts of electricity, temporarily disabling the target.

The C2 weapon is delivered unconnected, and buyers must provide information, including their Social Security number and other personal data, before the stun gun can be turned on. Buyers must first pass a background check before the stun gun is activated.

“Unlike the X26, the C2 doesn’t look so much like a gun,” said Doug Coté, citizen sales manager for Scottsdale-based Taser International, who regularly attends Shafman’s Taser parties. “The C2 is the result of more than two years of research in the market.”

Although Taser International is not officially connected with Shieldher, the company is providing Tasers for the parties and instructors to explain how they work, Coté said.

Off-duty police officers have also demonstrated the weapon.

“We applaud and support her,” Coté said.

Thus far, Shieldher has organized several Taser parties, mostly at Shafman’s home.

Another larger office party is scheduled next week, Shafman said.

“I don’t encourage any alcohol,” she said.

“We have sparkling cider, and it feels like a party. We sit around and talk about our fears and needs, and I explain how the C2s work. Then I set up a cork target, and I help the guests take aim and shoot.”

Caily Scheur, a real estate agent who lives in north Scottsdale, said she, too, began holding Taser parties because of concern for her safety.

“As a Realtor, I have to enter many empty homes, and I’ve always got that feeling that I need to protect myself,” Scheur said. “I learned about the C2 and the Taser parties by word-of-mouth, and now I’m holding them myself.”

Taser International has been the target of many lawsuits following deaths of human targets, but most have been either dropped or rejected by the courts because the victim had been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The stun gun also has been criticized by Amnesty International.