TORONTO - The streets of Toronto are expected to be flooded Tuesday with thousands of uniformed police officers mourning one of their own, as the man accused of killing Sgt. Ryan Russell is in hospital awaiting a court appearance.

Preparations are underway for Russell's funeral at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, expected to draw police officers from near and far as well as members of the public, said Const. Tony Vella.

Full honour police funerals are massive ceremonies sure to attract strong shows of support both from law enforcement communities and the public at large.

Russell, who leaves behind a wife and a two-year-old son, died of his injuries after being hit by the stolen snowplow he was trying to stop.

At Ontario's last police funeral, for provincial Const. Vu Pham in Wingham, north of London, thousands of uniformed officers marched in unison down the small community's main street.

It was a heartwarming public display for Pham's wife Heather and their three young sons as they were grieving such a terrible private loss.

"It's very overwhelming at the time, but it does make you feel like you're part of such a large family, and that brings definite comfort," Pham said from Wingham.

Heather Pham sends her condolences to Russell's family, especially to his wife in what Pham calls "an unimaginable time of grief."

"I just feel for what she's going through," she said. "If there's anything I can say it's just that I'm praying for her and supporting her in any way that I can."

Several dignitaries are expected to attend, including Premier Dalton McGuinty, whose office confirmed he will be there.

There will be hundreds of Ontario Provincial Police officers at Russell's funeral because it's "vitally important" for police services to show solidarity at such a tragic time, said Sgt. Dave Rektor, who helped organize Pham's funeral.

"The only thing that separates a police officer in this country is the shoulder patch," he said from London.

"When you kill one of us you take a piece of all of us and it hurts."

Pham was shot and killed on a rural road in the Wingham area after he pulled over a pickup truck. The suspect in Pham's killing, Fred Preston, 70, died in hospital after he was wounded in a gun battle with another officer. A coroner's inquest into the deaths has been called but a date has not yet been set.

Richard Kachkar, the suspect in Russell's death, was remanded in custody Friday by phone because he remains in hospital under police guard.

He is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing next Friday.

Kachkar, 44, who is charged with first-degree murder, was admitted on Wednesday after being shot by police during his arrest.

Rektor said in addition to the massive police presence, support from the community was just as important to those who worked with Pham.

"When you're driving in the funeral cortege and you see young kids and old people and middle-aged people all holding placards saying, `We love Vu Pham,' and I'm sure we'll see that again with Sgt. Russell, that (outpouring) of support by the public is very comforting to the police community," he said.

Visitation for Russell is being held at Jerrett Funeral Home in Thornhill, Ont., Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Monday from 3 to 7 p.m.

For the funeral on Tuesday police say they expect traffic disruption downtown from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. around the convention centre in an area bordered by York Street to the east, Spadina Avenue to the west, Wellington Street to the north and Lakeshore Boulevard to the south.

Traffic will also be disrupted at the Direct Energy Centre within the CNE grounds from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., police said.

Just what sparked Wednesday's tragic chain of events remains unclear. Kachkar had no criminal record, and those who knew him described him as friendly enough if a bit odd.

A friend of Kachkar's daughter pleaded with reporters Friday to give the young woman her privacy.

"Leave the poor girl alone," the woman said. "She has enough to deal with."