A man allegedly called 9-1-1 saying he’d stabbed someone and was holding the victim hostage in Red Bluff, Calif., on Monday afternoon, but the hourslong standoff that ensued turned out to be in vain after officers determined the claims were bogus.

Once police figure out who placed the phony call and why, officers say the man could face charges of filing a false police report and be ordered to pay for the extensive law-enforcement response triggered.

Red Bluff police Sgt. Matthew Hansen estimated 20 officers from different agencies — including several SWAT units — responded to the incident, blocking off the street and surrounding the apartment on the 1100 block of Delphinium Court.

The response included evacuating the apartment complex as officers strategized how to detain the potentially violent suspect they feared could be inside.

It started about 12:20 p.m., when a man called 9-1-1 saying he had stabbed someone and was holding that person hostage, Hansen said.

The man — who identified himself only as “Joe,” Hansen said — allegedly also threatened to harm a family that turned out not to be inside and shoot any officers who approached with a shotgun that also appears to have been made up.

Eventually, two men came out of the home “peacefully,” Hansen said, and they were detained for interviewing. As of about 5 p.m. Monday, police still were interviewing the men to see whether they’re the ones who placed the phony call and, if so, why.

Meanwhile, a search of the place didn’t yield any weapons or people besides an unharmed woman whom officers believe is related to one of the men.

When calls like Monday’s come in, Hansen said officers know they’ll go one of three ways: It’ll either be a real threat to hostages, an attempt to ambush responding officers, or a bid at “SWAT-ing,” essentially a prank with the end goal of a SWAT response.

In this case, though, Hansen said officers grew more concerned when they knocked on the door and someone inside told them to go away. “It kind of raised our suspicions,” Hansen said.

That’s when the SWAT teams came out to handle the potentially more serious threat than officers initially anticipated.

Though the strategy took a while to formulate, the team could eventually be seen ducking into the building and ordering “Hands up!” as police canines barked in unison. Snipers were even camped out on nearby rooftops to take aim.

Neighbors stood outside for hours watching the drama unfold, many theorizing that there was never actually a stabbing.

Javi Gonzalez said officers told him someone he knows was one of the suspects.

Gonzalez said the man he’s thinking of is “very happy,” so he’s not sure why he’d do something so strange.

Gonzalez — who also lives nearby — said he was shocked to see such a serious incident in his neighborhood.

“I’ve been in Red Bluff for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “We’re a small community.”

Leslie Mastaw and her son, Jonah, 14, don’t live in the neighborhood, but stopped by to observe the tactics because Jonah wants to work in law enforcement someday.

Mastaw had a different take on crime in Red Bluff.

“Crime happens a lot here, which is why we’re not afraid anymore. That’s why we’re right here by the caution line,” she said.