Fred Preston, 70, remains in critical condition in a London, Ont., hospital after a shootout that left an OPP officer dead. (backyardstuff.ca)

Fred Preston, a former Ontario township council leader who was struggling with marital problems, has been identified as the suspect in a shootout on a rural road that killed an Ontario Provincial Police officer.

Preston, 70, who was shot several times Monday, remains in critical condition in London's Victoria Hospital, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit said. He has not been charged.

The shootout near the community of Seaforth in southwestern Ontario fatally wounded Const. Vu Pham, a 15-year OPP veteran. He died several hours after being airlifted to London Health Sciences Centre, with his wife and children at his side.

Details are emerging about Preston, a father of three grown daughters who was the reeve of Joly Township on the western edge of Algonquin Park from the 1990s until 2003. Sources say Preston's wife left him last fall and moved in with their youngest daughter in southwestern Ontario. Police believe Preston was on his way to see his wife when he was pulled over by the OPP.

Mario Campese, the current reeve of Joly Township, said Preston was his next-door neighbour for 10 years. He said he was shocked to hear Preston is accused of killing an OPP officer. He said his neighbour was always amicable.

"Obviously, something has happened in his life that made him snap and I'm not sure what it was," Campese said. "I know that I said to my girlfriend about a week ago 'I haven't seen Fred's wife around.'"

Campese said Preston is an avid hunter and wood carver who uses a chainsaw to cut life-size animal carvings from wooden stumps. The website backyardstuff.ca shows images of Preston's sculptures.

Suspect, victim once lived in same area

Const. Vu Pham, 37, was fatally shot Monday near Seaforth, Ont. (OPP/Canadian Press)

In a coincidental twist, both Pham and Preston hail from the same area in northern Ontario. Pham, who was born in Vietnam, spent his teenage years in the village of Sundridge, near Joly, where he was raised by his adoptive family.

Monday's shootout started when police were called at 10:18 a.m. to the North Line in Huron County, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said. Officers tried to pull over a pickup truck when they were confronted by an armed man.

The province's Special Investigations Unit said two other officers were on the scene with Pham at the time of the shooting. After Pham was shot, the suspect and officers exchanged gunfire, and witnesses said as many as 20 shots were fired.

The OPP's criminal investigation branch and the SIU, which probes cases of serious injury or death involving police and civilians, are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-622-2342.

Active member of community

Police officials said Pham, a father of three, was both a valued colleague and a dedicated member of his community.

Fantino said the loss of a fellow officer is being felt across the province and the incident is a reminder of the risks police face every day.

"Const. Pham is just one of those heroes," he said.

Sgt. Dave Rektor says the force has lost a "good friend, a great colleague [and] a very good officer."

Pham lived in Wingham, Ont., with his wife, Heather, and three sons, Tyler, 12, Jordan, 10, and Joshua, 7.

Colleagues said he was active in his community and acted as a deacon at the local church, coached youth soccer and was involved in minor hockey.

Family friend Stephanie Houghton described Pham as a private person who was fun to be around and deeply devoted to his family.

Devoted to family

"He did everything for his family. His wife Heather and his kids came first," said Houghton, whose family shared weekends and summer vacations together with Pham's family.

(CBC)

"He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and he always had his boys with him doing outdoor things with them. They were involved in hockey and soccer and whenever you saw them, they were always together," she said.

Houghton said Pham's wife was still in shock and that the community was rallying around the family to offer support.

"He is just a very dear man, a very dear friend, devoted husband and father, and an amazing person, and we’re going to miss him terribly," said Houghton.

Pham worked out of the Huron County detachment and had previously served in the Cochrane and West Parry Sound detachments.

With the latest death, 104 OPP officers have been killed in the line of duty since the force was established in 1909.

Under the Criminal Code, the slaying of a police officer is considered first-degree murder regardless of whether it was planned or deliberate. First-degree murder carries a life sentence on conviction with no chance of parole for 25 years.

With files from The Canadian Press