Two men get into altercation at graduation ceremony
By Kyle Jorrey kjorrey@theacorn.com

Two men have charged each other with battery after an altercation that occurred before Thursday's Westlake High School graduation ceremony.

According to police reports, Jeff Shinnick, 50, of West Hills and Robert Housman, 64, of Thousand Oaks got into an argument over seating for the event. At some point in that argument, according to what Shinnick told police, Housman allegedly struck Shinnick's mother with a padded bleacher seat as Housman got up to leave.

"Mr. Shinnick said it was intentional, Mr. Housman claims it wasn't," said Capt. Ron Nelson of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. "Either way, the physical altercation took place afterwards."

According to Nelson, Shinnick allegedly responded by shoving Housman to the ground. Immediately thereafter, Ventura County deputies, working as security for the event, broke up the fight and detained Shinnick. Housman suffered minor injuries from his fall in the cement grandstands.

Once the two were separated by the deputies, they told differing accounts of what took place. Each eventually decided to press charges against the other for battery, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail, a $2,000 fine, or both.

Nelson said it was the first time he can recall an incident like this happening at a local graduation ceremony.

"I don't remember anything like this happening before," he said. "It just seems as if they both were acting like children."

According to reports, Shinnick was able to attend the second half of the graduation ceremony while Housman got checked out at a local hospital.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court in one month.