New West Hartford Police Officers Sworn In Tuesday

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A half-dozen new officers were sworn in Tuesday in West Hartford.

The ceremony took place at town hall. The six new officers are:

• Officer Benjamin Watkins
• Officer Conor Brown
• Officer John Selmer
• Officer Skylar Lang
• Officer Karoli Rodriguez
• Officer Nathaniel Michaud

Here are brief biographies:

Benjamin Watkins (Badge No. 456)

Benjamin Watkins graduated high school from Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia and attended Christopher Newport University where he earned a degree in History with a minor in Leadership Studies. Watkins played basketball for the University and was involved in the Leadership Program. Upon graduation, he was hired as a police officer for Henrico County, Va just outside of Richmond, Va. Watkins served 5 years in patrol for the County of Henrico.

Conor Brown (Badge No. 457)

Conor Brown grew up in Plainsboro, NJ where he was a volunteer firefighter and EMT for Plainsboro Fire Department. He then joined the United States Army where he was an Infantryman for 3 years. After the army he then moved down to Henrico Virginia where he was a police officer for the last 5 years. During this time, he decided to go to school at Liberty University online where he is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Business Management.

John Selmer (Badge No. 458)

John Selmer grew up in Stamford, Connecticut where he graduated from J.M. Wright Technical school. He then went on to graduate from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. John spent 20 years owning and operating a landscaping business. He also spent 7 years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT with specialized training as an ice rescue instructor and fire prevention coordinator.

Skylar Lang (Badge No. 459)

Skylar Lang grew up in Canton, CT where he graduated from Canton High school in 2014. After high school he continued his academic career at Northwestern CT community college as well as CCSU. After graduation Skylar worked at Hartford Hospital in a surgical unit helping patients recover from surgery on different types of cancers as well as other illnesses. He eventually decided that it was time for a change in career path and he wanted to become a police officer.

Karoli Rodriguez (Badge No. 460)

Karoli Rodriguez was born in Lima, Peru and grew up in Meriden, Connecticut where she attended Orville H. Platt High School and graduated in 2013. She then attended Southern Connecticut State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a minor in Spanish and graduated in 2017. Upon completion of her degree, she served a year in AmeriCorps with Public Allies Connecticut. She then went on to further her education in Crime Scene Investigation and attended graduate school at the University of New Haven. She graduated with her Master of Science in Forensic Technology in 2021.

Nathaniel Michaud (Badge No. 461)

Nathaniel Michaud grew up in Cromwell CT and attended Cromwell High School where he graduated in 2017. Shortly after graduating he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. He attended the University of New Haven to study Criminal Justice. After recently attending training in Quantico, VA, Nathaniel decided to finally pursue his dream of becoming a police officer.