My white privilege kept me from having a criminal record: 'Grey's Anatomy' showrunner

By Megan Stone

Video by Brittany Berkowitz

"Grey's Anatomy" showrunner Krista Vernoff is reflecting on her past and white privilege.

The Emmy-nominated screenwriter listed off the numerous crimes she committed in her youth, all of which resulted in a slap on the wrist each time.

"When I was 15, I was chased through a mall by police who were yelling ‘Stop thief!’ I had thousands of dollars of stolen merchandise on me," she wrote on Twitter. "I was caught, booked, sentenced to 6 months of probation, required to see a parole officer weekly. I was never even handcuffed."

Vernoff's next story detailed how she got away with drunk driving when she was 18.

When I was 15, I was chased through a mall by police who were yelling “Stop thief!” I had thousands of dollars of stolen merchandise on me. I was caught, booked, sentenced to 6 months of probation, required to see a parole officer weekly. I was never even handcuffed.

THREAD:

— Krista Vernoff (@KristaVernoff) June 15, 2020

"When the Police Officer asked me to blow into the breathalyzer, I pretended to have asthma and insisted I couldn’t blow hard enough to get a reading," she confessed, saying the officer "laughed" at her shoddy excuse and let her off with a "verbal warning" when a friend volunteered to drive for her.

Vernoff further admitted to assaulting several people -- one time just feet away from a police officer -- but was never arrested. She also stated that "between the ages of 11 and 22" police caught or chased her for drinking or "doing illegal drugs." Despite all that she said, "I have no criminal record."

While she isn't proud of her past actions, Vernoff said she hopes her stories show disparity suffered by black Americans, such as Rayshard Brooks, who was killed by police when he tried running away.

She then encouraged her white followers to "think of all the mistakes you've made that you were allowed to survive."

Vernoff concluded her Twitter thread by calling for defunding of police. It's a "broken system that must change," she wrote.