Twins join Fayette County police force - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

FAYETTEVILLE (WVVA) - Police officers often refer to each other as brothers, but for a pair of Fayette County deputies it's never been truer.

Ethan and Aaron Shrewsbury are not only brothers, but identical twins. They both joined the Fayette County Sheriff's Department as deputy sheriffs on Monday.

The 21-year-old brothers are both 2010 graduates of Midland Trail High School and active members of the National Guard.

The brothers won't be paired together on duty, because it's so difficult to tell them apart.

"We have had family members employed at the same time with the sheriff's office before -- even a pair of brother at one time -- but this is the first time, to my knowledge, that we have ever hired identical twins brothers to serve as deputies," Sheriff Steve Kessler said.

Kessler said the pair of hirings put his department at its full authorized strength for the first time in more than 10 years.

"Once all of our probationary deputy sheriffs have completed training at the West Virginia State Police Academy we will be able to fully staff our detachments in the rural areas of the county, as well as provide additional patrol coverage out of our main detachment office in Fayetteville," Kessler added.

Fayette County currently has one deputy in the academy and another scheduled to attend in September.