A hoax nearly cost a Manatee County family their lives.

"I could have been killed easily and this isn't a joke," said Mike Dolen, a Bradenton online gamer.

Dolen, who goes by the name “LaggySpork,” was hosting a live-streaming game of Minecraft early Sunday morning, when police burst through his doors.

"I'm talking to all the people in the chat rooms and then bang the door opens,” said Dolen.  “I don't recognize immediately that it's police officers. I just saw guns and people and shadows."

Dolen said he thought his home was being broken into, but it turns out the police were there for him.

Bradenton Police Captain William Fowler said they had received a 911 call from Dolen’s home phone saying there was an emergency.

The caller, who said she was Dolen’s 12-year-old daughter, told police that her father had a machine gun and had shot her mother and was threatening her.

Shortly after police arrived at Dolen’s home, they all figured out they were the victim of a prank.

"I Immediately related it to, I'm getting swatted," said Dolen.  “I've heard about it and seen it online. It's part of being in gaming community.”

Dolen, who caught the whole incident on camera, said it all took him by surprise. He said when police officers entered his house, his wife and three young daughters were sleeping in their bedrooms nearby.

He is thankful no one was hurt.

Police feel the same.

"It puts lives at risk, the officers’ lives at risk and the officers don't know what they're getting into," said Fowler.

Dolen thinks the call came from a disgruntled gamer who was participating in his online game. Police are now trying to figure out who that person is.

In the meantime, Dolen said he plans on using this experience as a way to educate the online community. He wants others to know swatting is no joking matter.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Bradenton Police Department.