Police say Sherman was attacked while riding his bicycle to buy baby formula for his 1-year-old brother. His attackers stole his bicycle and left him unconscious in the street.
Clarke and the juvenile allegedly took Sherman's wallet, cell phone and bicycle. The pair face robbery charges.
NYPD officials deemed the attack not racially-motivated, but the Brooklyn District Attorney decided to include it in the investigation of bias crimes currently in front of a grand jury.
Clarke has one prior arrest for robbery.
Authorities say there was no evidence that the assault was linked to the April 14 beating of Andrew Charles, the 20-year-old black son of a police officer. A suspect, Yitzhak Shuchat, was identified as a member of a Hasidic anti-crime patrol.