HONOLULU -- The violent attack on a military couple two weeks ago in Waikele is making national news.

A story about the road rage altercation is on the front page of Wednesday's USA Today under the headline: "Racial Tensions are simmering in Hawaii's Melting Pot."

Police arrested a Native Hawaiian man and his teenage son in the attack of the Caucasian couple after a fender bender in the Waikele Shopping Center parking lot.

The article said that the incident is provoking questions about whether Hawaii's aloha spirit is real.

Iraq war veteran Staff Sgt. Andrew Dussell and his wife, Dawn, have asked for privacy after allegedly being beaten into unconsciousness.

Witnesses said it began when the Dussells' sport utility vehicle bumped into Gerald Paakaula's Chevrolet.

A police affidavit said Gerald Paakaula's son, Alika, 16, "was extremely angry that his vehicle was struck... He began to yell profanities at Andrew Dussell, calling him a f--- haole and kicked the driver side door." Gerald Paakaula who had been inside an ice cream parlor intervened and both Dussells ended up unconscious.

"Simmering divisions pit Hawaiians against other groups, and 'locals' of all races against newcomers, including immigrants and military members. At issue now is whether Hawaii will acknowledge and overcome these threats to its friendly reputation," Martin Kasindorf's report said. (Read the full report.)

KITV spoke with Andrew Dussell's father, who said his son does not consider himself the victim of a race crime.

The USA Today report also points out that the attack comes as the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress are being asked to decide on special benefits for Native Hawaiians that some say exclude other races.

Comment on the USA Today article

University of Hawaii law professor Jon Van Dyke was quoted in the article. He said the report exaggerated racial tensions and trivializes Native Hawaiian's quest for redress. "I think the story missed the essence of Hawaii, which is people get along, people try to reach across barriers and link with each other," Van Dyke said.

Rex Johnson, head of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, called the article a nightmare.

"Those kinds of stories are very damaging to Hawaii's overall image," he said.

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