INDIANAPOLIS -- An off-duty Marion County special deputy and code enforcement officer shot and killed his neighbor during a dispute on Indianapolis' east side Wednesday, police said.

Bruce Jacobs, 53, called 911 to report that he had just shot his neighbor, Edward Light, 48, near 20th Street and Forest Manor Avenue just after 5:30 p.m., said Sgt. Paul Thompson.

Light was pronounced dead in Jacobs' back yard. At first it was believed that Light had attacked Jacobs with a chainsaw, but Thompson said that further investigation revealed that the chainsaw was not directly involved in the fatal shooting.

"Metro police received a call from an individual saying he'd been attacked by a person with a chainsaw and he had fired shots at this individual," Thompson said.

Investigators said Light might have damaged Jacobs' property with a chainsaw earlier in the day and that Jacobs told them he acted in self defense.

Thompson said the gun used in the shooting was not issued by the city and that Jacobs was not acting in an official capacity.

Jacobs was detained by police for questioning Wednesday night, but was not arrested.

Craig Livers, who lived next to Light, said he never had any problems with him.

"People say he was crazy, but we lived next door to him for years and never had any problems," Livers said. "He has been telling me one of his neighbors has been spying on him and harassing him and trying to get him committed for some reason. Whether that's true or not, I don't know."

Investigators said Jacobs fired his own personal gun and was not acting in an official capacity at the time.

Prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine what charges could be filed.